Sam Warburton has revealed he has been on the receiving end of a barrage of criticism from South Africa fans amid his belief that Wales can win at least one of the upcoming three Test matches.
Wales go into their summer series against the world champions as huge underdogs in the eyes of many, particularly after a disappointing Six Nations campaign which culminated in a shock defeat to Italy in Cardiff.
Wayne Pivac's side are also on the wrong side of history, with the Springboks having won 30 of the last 37 meetings between the two sides, while Wales have never beaten the 'Boks on South African soil in their last 10 games in the country.
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Such statistics show the Welsh have a mountain to climb, but Warburton is convinced they have enough in their locker to cause problems for their opponents, a prediction he claims has landed him in hot water with some South African fans. Writing in his latest column for The Times, Warburton also revealed that his views on South African involvement in the United Rugby Championship has been another bone of contention recently.
"I have been receiving a lot of flak from South Africa on two fronts," he said. "Firstly regarding comments I made about the South African teams’ presence in the United Rugby Championship. To be clear, I was never questioning how good they are — they are obviously very good! — but I was a little bit concerned about how the north and south might mix in such a competition. As it is, I have been won over. I thought the URC semi-finals were exceptional, with the contrasts between the South African and Irish teams really good to watch."
It follows Warburton's social media comments where he said the competition "doesn't make sense and looks a random mix and match of clubs," which you can read more about here.
"The second gripe from South Africa appears to surround a question I was asked — can Wales win a Test in South Africa?" he added. "Of course, they can. It is unlikely given the history of this fixture in South Africa — Wales have never won there — and the way the Six Nations went, but you look at the side they have put out and they could win a game. I do not expect them to win the series, though, and that was never what I was saying."
As for his series prediction, the former Wales captain is going for a 2-1 series victory for the 'Boks, adding: "I think Wales may win the second Test, but I fear the third Test will really test their depth."
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