Photo via BBC Sport

New-look Wales target statement South Africa win

Wales are kicking off a four-match sequence with a clash against South Africa, seeking to establish a fresh identity under attack coach Ashley Beck. Co-captain Alex Callender emphasized that the squad must abandon their habitual reliance on driving mauls whenever pressured, urging teammates to embrace an expansive ball-movement strategy instead.

Tactical adjustments feature heavily in the setup, highlighted by seasoned regular Keira Bevan shifting into an unfamiliar fly-half role. Callender shares leadership duties with Kate Williams in a starting XV featuring Carys Phillips' pack colleagues, alongside backs such as Courtney Keight and Jasmine Joyce on the bench, as the hosts target a morale-boosting win to shift team fortunes.

South Africa arrive determined to settle scores after suffering a 29-19 defeat during their prior visit. Springbok captain Babalwa Latsha, who anchors the front row alongside Sanelisiwe Charlie and Lindelwa Gwala, expects fierce parity at the set-pieces given the stylistic similarities between both nations.

Although the visitors previously endured a complete four-year Test hiatus spanning 2014 to 2018, Latsha rejected the notion of entering the 7:15 contest as mere rank outsiders, noting that both squads have achieved significant progress and shattered records since their previous meeting.

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