South Africa will take on Wales at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on November 6 in an extra fixture that has delighted Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) bosses.
It will be the Springboks’ first Test against Wales in Cardiff since their 23-13 victory in 2000 and means Wales will play four games in the space of three November weeks, with Romania, New Zealand and Japan also to be faced.
”I am really excited because the quality of opposition is superb,” new Wales coach Mike Ruddock said on Wednesday after the announcement of the extra match.
”This extra fixture is a real bonus and will give all of us, coaches and players alike, the chance to assess ourselves against the best teams in the world.
”We already have an incredibly challenging summer tour with two Tests in Argentina and one in South Africa. Now we have a wonderfully balanced autumn series to look forward to at the Millennium Stadium.”
The WRU feels it has pulled off a major coup in attracting two of the southern hemisphere’s big guns to Cardiff this autumn.
”This will be the first time since 1996 that Wales will face two Sanza nations in the autumn international period,” said WRU chief executive David Moffett.
”Eight years ago we met Australia and South Africa in December, but this will be a first for Welsh fans at the Millennium Stadium.”
Ruddock, who opens his reign with a fixture against the Barbarians in Bristol on May 26, has also confirmed the make-up of his backroom team.
Clive Griffiths has been appointed defence coach, joining skills chief Scott Johnson and conditioning coach Andrew Hore.
”I’m really pleased with this team,” Ruddock said. ”It’s very strong and at this level you need that. Gone are the days when one man can have all the answers. You need specialists in place.”
The former Swansea and Leinster coach has reaffirmed that Wales want their leading players to play their rugby at home, rather than follow the lead of Stephen Jones and Gareth Thomas, who will be playing for Montferrand and Toulouse respectively next season.
”My principle is that we want to keep all our best players within the Welsh regions if possible,” added Ruddock.
”We want to be as as strong as we can so we have more chance of winning the European Cup with a Welsh region.
”And we want the fans to see our best players playing in Wales and we want those guys to help us achieve greater attendances and better sponsorship. So it is a blow when we lose players.” — Sapa-AFP