So that’s what happens when you pit the world champions and their behemoths against an inexperienced side filled with players from the fringe. Warren Gatland names his World Cup squad on Monday and selected this matchday 23 in the hope a few lesser-known names would put their hand up. After an eight-try pummelling, this felt like asking a young boxer to cut his teeth against Mike Tyson in his prime.
South Africa were bigger, stronger, faster and more ruthlessly efficient than their hosts. They monstered the breakdown and clattered anyone in red who had the misfortune of getting near them. The Springboks move ahead of France into third in World Rugby’s rankings and if anyone needed evidence of the chasm that exists between the top teams and the rest, this was it.
