Wales 18-20 SA: Pitch invader denies hosts try-scoring opportunity

Wales 18-20 South Africa: A PITCH INVADER denies clear try-scoring opportunity for Liam Williams as Malcolm Marx scores late winning try for world champions in enthralling contest at the Principality Stadium

• A closely-contested first-half saw Wales go in at half-time ahead by three points 
• The score was 15-15 with 20 minutes to go in a enthralling Autumn international 
• A pitch invader then stopped a clear try-scoring opportunity for Liam Williams 
• South Africa wing Makazole Mapimpi then had a try ruled out via the TMO 
• Malcolm Marx went over at the back of the maul to give the Springboks the win

Do defeats to South Africa always have to be this agonising?

That was the question on three and-a-half million lips as the Springboks did it again against Wales – ripping their hearts out and stamping on them right at the last.

It was the same at the 2019 World Cup, a late penalty then, and during the Lions tour in the summer. This time Malcolm Marx’s 73rd minute try from a rolling maul was the sickener. 

South Africa came out on top with a late try from the back off the maul from Malcolm Marx

But LIam Williams had a clear try-scoring opportunity scuppered by a pitch invader in Cardiff 

The pitch invader stopped Williams running freely onto the ball and South Africa recovered

He was dragged off the pitch by stewards as Wales’ Josh Adams looked on in disbelief 

The invader was booed and had beer thrown at him as he was ejected from the stadium 

In a game pock-marked by penalties it was the only try, and meant Wales lost to the world champions at home for the first time since 2013.

In the loss Ellis Jenkins was sensational – a caped crusader on the flank, even becoming captain when Jonathan Davies went off, on his return from three years out of Welsh red against the same opponents he so savagely injured his knee against in 2018.

But even he could not stop the inexorable maul of fate, the one that broke Welsh hearts again at the end. Without Alun Wyn Jones and Ken Owens in the side there were no tears at the anthem – but Wales showed no little heart in the first half, as they always do.

It is why South Africa respect them so much; ‘Tough f*****s’ is what Rassie Erasmus called them before during the World Cup. This game was far better than that evening in Yokohoma but did feature the usual kick-tennis expected when watching the Boks.

When Louis Rees-Zammit fumbled his first high ball he might have been in for a longer day than the hen-do group all wearing 1970s Welsh shirts and scrum-caps while walking three different directions at once by 3pm near Cardiff Central station. 

Dan Bigger kicked over six penalties as the boot ruled during Saturday’s contest in Cardiff 

But soon the wing recovered, and almost scored. Nick Tompkins floated a wide ball out to Jenkins who found Rees-Zammit on the right; the wing stepped inside but was banged into touch.

Like the Lions tour, there was little wild creativity on show.

Back from that trip were South Africa’s wild pack of hyenas on the touchline, prowling about in bibs, entering the field sometimes even when the ball was in play, shouting at referees and advising their players on lineout calls and all sorts else.

Physio Rene Naylor is the worst of the yappers – the one who yelled instructions at the Boks from the in-goal area during the Lions series – and here she was at it again.

Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit is tackled by Springboks skipper Siya Kolisi in Cardiff 

Whatever the bibs were saying the Bok gameplan was no departure from what made them world champions two years ago. Kick, chase, maul, scrum, repeat. And why not, when no one can stop you?

Wales, to their credit, did largely for 73 minutes. Jenkins once took a picture-perfect turnover when the Welsh were under pressure, rolling back the three years he has missed since his awful knee injury to the last day he wore red and schooled the Springboks.

He also intercepted a pass in his 22 too – saving Welsh bacon again. Wales’ scrum buckled at times, and Ryan Elias still struggled to hit lineouts in the rain. While Wales did go into the break 12-9 up – Dan Biggar hitting four penalties to Handre Pollard’s three – they did not capitalise on a period where they were a man up.

South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth runs with the ball and is tackled by Dan Biggar and Will Rowlands

Prop Ox Nche committed two offences in three phases, first hitting Tompkins high in a tackle deemed fair on reflection, then blocking the centre cynically as Biggar chipped over the Bok defence. He had to go, but soon Rhys Carré did as well, sin-binned when illegally entering a ruck.

In a different way to last week, when Wales were whacked in the last quarter by rampant All Blacks, there was an ominous feeling around the Principality Stadium that this would follow those before – in that when the Bok bench came on the Welsh would run out of puff.

The game was 47 minutes old when everyone Welsh shifted slightly in their seats seeing Marx, Vincent Koch and Steve Kitshoff all come off the bench together. But as green waves crashed into red, Cardiff transforming into Ellis Park with chants of ‘Bokke, Bokke’ ringing round, Jenkins went hunting.

South Africa captain Kolisi carries the ball away from Wales’ Nick Tompkins in the first-half

Once more he snaffled a vital turnover when hope looked lost to quell South Africa, and as Wales broke away and won a penalty in the Bok half he punched the air with delight.

Biggar hit the kick and Wales led by six. But they could not settle, as quickly Frans Steyn monstered one of his own from 53 metres.

For any Welsh fan this was now sick torture, this game following the recent script. When would the pain come, with 10 minutes, five, or less to go? One more penalty from Pollard and the scores were level entering the last 20 minutes.

The Springboks celebrate their victory as Wales just miss out against South Africa again

The last throes were dramatic. First an intruder managed to enter the field, Liam Williams having to hurdle the idiot on the left wing to avoid him as a steward hit him to the floor.

Once accosted, the man was wrestled away and several fans chucked pints at him, showing their disgust at his moronic act. Resuming, Biggar nudged Wales ahead again with a penalty.

Then the Boks thought they had scored. A bad box-kick from Cobus Reinach was gathered by Eben Etzebeth, who fed Makazole Mapimipi for a run-in, but referee Paul Williams disallowed it as the lock had never retreated from an offside position.

Heart-ache felt inevitable, and then came. A massive maul marched over the Welsh line, Marx at the bottom of it to score seven minutes from the end. Elton Jantjies’ missed the conversion but hit a penalty with the clock dead to seal it by five. 

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