Wales ended a 14-month wait for a Test win as they opened their own WXV Global Series campaign with a convincing 50-19 victory South Africa at Cardiff Arms Park.
Their last win came in July 2025, when they beat Wales Australia 21-12 at Ballymore. It was Sean Lynn’s second win as head coach in his 16th Test match in charge.
The home team crossed the ball six times before the break. The scoring started just six minutes in when Courtney Kate crossed the penalty spot. The cross was sent in by a combination of Keira Bevan’s floated pass and Lisa Neumann’s through ball Sale Sharks back over.
Next up was Sisilia Tuipulotu, who found free ground to pounce on a heavy carry. Felicia Jacobs’ opportunistic effort gave South Africa a brief moment of respite, but it didn’t take long for Seren Lockwood to settle at the opposite end.
By the 33rd minute, Wales’ entire front row had gone down, with both Maisie Davies and Kelsey Jones finding their way over.
A Springbok women’s night won’t be coming anytime soon. Danella Lochner’s high tackle on Kate Williams led to the lock being booked. By the start of the second half, the 29-year-old’s challenge had been upgraded to a red card.
To end the first half on an undisputed high, Neumann capped a strong first-half performance with a try while Bevan and Lleucu George – brought on after Lockwood left the field injured – combined to send the full-back over the try line.
Things slowed down in the second half. Tuipulotu and Alex Callender overcame the situation to seal a dominant win for Wales, while tries from Mario Tshiremba and Maceala Samboy were only consolation scores for South Africa.
Here are three talking points from an unforgettable night in Cardiff:
The rugby striker scored for Wales
Alex Callender’s return to the Wales back row was always going to be significant. The injury meant the 26-year-old missed out on the 2026 Guinness Women’s Competition. Six Nations and made just three Premiership Women’s Rugby appearances for Harlequins.
Back in the starting Wales shirt, with co-captainship, she was in great form and typified the Welsh dominance in Cardiff. In fact, it was her change in midfield that eventually led to Keight’s first try. A Kelsey Jones turnover was also instrumental in Tuipulotu’s first try.
These acts were just two of many powerful moments from Wales. Across the park, Wales looked to use their forwards first. Honestly, you look across the starting pack and there isn’t a single player you could describe as a poor ball carrier. With almost every touch of the ball, the Welsh forwards held on and kept the Springbok jerseys in the air.
Davies, Jones, Tuipulotu, Branwen Metcalfe, Georgia Evans, Williams, Callender and Bryonie King all made their presence felt in that first half, with their efforts opening up space for the backs to break free. Wales attack coach Ashley Beck must be very pleased.
At scrum and lineout time, Wales also coincided. It wasn’t that long ago that the Springboks upset the Black Ferns at FNB Stadium. The Welsh line-up looked better drilled. Not at all like a team that hasn’t played a Test since May.
South Africa were off the pace from the first minute
There was probably plenty of excitement for Springbok Women supporters ahead of this match. A few weeks ago against New Zealand in Soweto, the team led by Franzel Septembar and Laurian Johannes-Haupt looked at the source from the start.
Nothing seemed to work for the women Rugby World Cup Quarter-finalists 2025 It’s hard to believe that this is the team that won USA Women’s Eagles and Fiji this calendar year.
Discipline also failed South Africa. Too often the Springboks coughed up penalties, knocked the ball over or simply didn’t take care of possession. It wasn’t the kind of performance we’re used to seeing from the Springboks. Lindelw Gwala’s yellow card and Lochner’s red card only made an already bad night in Cardiff worse.
You have to expect the Springbok Women to respond next week against Italy. By the way, the side that delighted us Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 could be staring down the barrel of a hopeless WXV Global Series, and Ireland’s trip to Cape Town should only challenge the other side.
Keira Bevan at fly-half was working… we just didn’t get to see enough of it
Keira Bevan’s move to fly-half was a major talking point ahead of this game. Usually used at fly-half, it was a bold move by the Wales coaching staff to move one of their leading players out of position as they look to end a 14-month losing streak.
In the end, we didn’t see that much Bristol Bears half-back in the number 10 shirt, as Lockwood’s injury meant George introduced the match much earlier than originally planned.
But from what we saw, Bevan didn’t seem upset. Her partnership with Lockwood seemed solid. We saw her range of passing and shooting, which we knew the 29-year-old probably had, in action.
We also saw her very loud. Playing out of position, probably with more responsibility, you couldn’t be sure how Bevan would react. But as far as reactions go, you have to say her reaction was perfect. Now let’s see if they get the nod next Saturday when the USA Women’s Eagles come to town.
