rugby

Welsh rugby is in the doldrums and there is no respite as South Africa's revered rugby juggernaut rolls into Cardiff.

In terms of results, 2024 will be remembered as the worst in Wales' 143-year international rugby union history.

Wales have lost each of their last 11 Test matches, their longest ever run in men's rugby, overtaking a 10-game stretch between November 2002 and August 2003.

This shift in style is in direct contrast to the more attritional approach England adopted in Borthwick’s first year in charge, which culminated with a third-placed finish at the Rugby World Cup in France.

The Springboks arrive in Cardiff after winning the Rugby Championship and have 10 victories from 12 Tests this year underlining a gulf between the teams in terms of form.