Read all about it: How Wales managed to lose a Test they led for long periods and should have won.
The headlines could have been so different.
Had the tourists been been more disciplined, instead of conceding four yellow cards, they could have secured their first away Test victory over South Africa in the history of games between the sides. Had the referee given Pivac’s team more 50-50 decisions, they might have left Pretoria with smiles on their faces. A draw might have come their way had Tomos Williams not kicked away possession to South Africa with 21 seconds left on the clock.
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But Wales took South Africa to the wire before losing 32-29 and they have received praise in the media while the Springboks have copped some flak, notwithstanding a comeback that saw them rally from 18-3 down.
MARK ORDERS scans the reaction.
Alex Bywater, Daily Mail
Wales are no strangers to heroic defeat at the hands of the southern hemisphere's big three.
The 2012 home loss to Australia and a 31-30 reversal in South Africa in 2014 are two of the more heartbreaking setbacks the country's rugby side has suffered in the professional era.
But in Pretoria on Saturday — with a first victory on Springbok soil tantalisingly within their grasp — Wayne Pivac's men hit a new low when it comes to on-field anguish.
This was a game Wales should have won.
Once again, heroic defeat it was.
Steffan Thomas, The Times
This was an epic Test match, with the result in doubt until the very last second. Wayne Pivac’s side had been dubbed also-rans heading into this series against the world champions, with not even the most one-eyed Wales fan expecting them to come close to South Africa. And though they lost narrowly this was a tremendous effort from a side who may well have turned the corner after a poor Six Nations. The courage of the side, who at one stage were reduced to 12 men, was a sight to behold, but in the end the power of South Africa proved to be decisive.
Ben Coles, Telegraph
Wayne Pivac admitted in the build-up to this Test that he hadn't slept properly for three months since that chastening defeat to Italy, and the way events unfolded in Pretoria will have given the Wales head coach even more nightmares. Wales led by 15 points at half-time and were drawing 29-29 with the clock in the red when Damian Willemse stepped up to play the role which usually goes to Morné Steyn, landing a late penalty to give South Africa victory and crush Welsh hearts.
Wales have never won in South Africa but for so long in this first Test it seemed like that drought may come to an end. They deservedly led 18-3 at half-time thanks to two moments of real quality from Louis Rees-Zammit, scoring twice as South Africa stuttered their way through their first hitout since the autumn. But the combination of altitude and South Africa's strength in depth always left the door open for a fightback. It took a hat-trick of maul tries, one each from Bongi Mbonambi and Malcolm Marx plus a penalty try, to reel Wales in.
This was still a performance for Wales to be proud of but their lack of discipline killed them, conceding four yellow cards overall including three in the final 14 minutes.
Khanyiso Tshwaku, Sport 24
Damian Willemse's last-minute penalty spared the Springboks the embarrassment of losing a first-ever home Test against Wales when they won 32-29 in Pretoria on Saturday evening.
In front of a heaving 51 762 capacity crowd at the Sunnyside-based ground, Wales had charged into an 18-3 half-time lead and stretched it to 24-15. The Boks though put their act together in patches to keep their unbeaten home record against Wales intact.
With the game…tied with two minutes left, it was anybody's game.
The Welsh, through their replacement halfback Tomos Williams and having conceded four yellow cards, inexplicably chose to kick the ball back to the Boks, who recycled possession until they got a penalty.
That was slammed over by Willemse and their record against Wales at home is now 11/0, but only just.
Mike Greenaway, IOL Sport
Damian Willemse has for much of his career been accused of being erratic but when it mattered most he coolly slotted a post-hooter penalty to give his team a 32-29 victory that will go down in Springbok history as The Great Escape.
Let’s be honest, for 70 minutes of the game Wales seemed [set] to win their first-ever match on South African soil, but somehow the bloodyminded Boks found a way to win when they honestly deserved to lose, they played that badly.
For the duration of the match, the packed stands around the pitch were in semi-darkness because Loftus was running off generator power thanks to SA Rugby having zero faith in Escom to keep the lights on, while the Boks themselves looked like they were running off a flat battery.
Jan de Koning, Rugby365
Damian Willemse slotted a penalty to secure a fortuitous 32-29 win for South Africa over Wales at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. However, the was the famous BOMB SQUAD that saved the Springboks their blushes and prevented the Welsh from getting the first-ever win on South African soil. Trailing 3-18 at the half-time break, the Boks made good use of their replacement bench – scoring four second-half tries to salvage a win in the opening match of the three-Test series.
