Springboks limp past dominant Welsh

South Africa kept their almost perfect record against Wales intact as they dramatically held on for a 20-15 win at Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

The tourists' impressive one defeat in 23 matches against their hosts that has stretched over 104 years was ultimately clung to on the day -- but it was by no means a performance of world champions as Wales set up camp in opposition territory for large parts of the second half.

The Springboks' recent summer whitewash headlines against the Grand Slam holders was always going to become chip paper in Cardiff's autumn air with the hosts able to call upon such names as Lee Byrne and tireless flank Martyn Williams as they looked to right some wrongs.

And the latter's British and Irish Lions hopes would surely have not gone unnoticed by key personnel on either side of 2009 tour agendas as he looked assured at the back.

Pre-game, set-piece and physicality was always going to be crucial in the victor's direction and with powerful Messrs Andy Powell and Pierre Spies on show in the capital, collisions were also predicted to be aesthetically fierce.

Yet in the early exchanges, it was the usual comically and irritating suspects named Bismarck du Plessis and Bakkies Botha who warmed up referee Alain Rolland's whistle and the predominantly red-shirted crowd of home spectators.

As mentioned, the opening possession was with the tourists and when slick handling from Victor Matfield and Schalk Burger led to centre Adrian Jacobs crossing within six minutes -- the Webb Ellis champions looked like they meant business.

That early cushion was swiftly extended to ten points just two minutes later as the first quarter breakdown battle continued to favour the visitors -- the perfect settling start for fly-half hopeful Ruan Pienaar.

The Sharks utility man was in commanding form from the outset as smart positional play steered his team-mates into the more dominant territorial positions with Wales struggling for a foothold.

That was until 27-year-old Cardiff Blues debutante Powell announced himself on the international stage with a timely rampaging run from halfway, which ultimately lifted the northern side's spirits.

Soon after though, a missed opportunity from the tee from Stephen Jones proved a temporary setback for Wales before consolation came through a timely shift in momentum.

As they would have set out to do, Warren Gatland's men finally managed to change the point of attack and keep the Springboks chasing with threats appearing through Shane Williams and company.

And their chance to reduce the arrears subsequently followed when the youthful Leigh Halfpenny opened his international account -- not with five points however -- as the wing slotted a penalty while Jones received treatment.

But with Butch James watching with his friends in the crowd, it was Peter de Villiers fresh-faced calm pivot who was once again on target three minutes before the interval, extending the scores back to 3-13 before Halfpenny was found wanting in response, albeit from 56 metres.

South Africa returned from the dressing rooms without the brute force of substituted Botha who arguably did what was asked on his injury comeback.  But in the rangy Andries Bekker they possessed serious height and mobility for the second period, which opened at quite a pace.

Firstly, a loose pass from green possession found the confident Halfpenny, who combined with Tom Shanklin to break 60 metres downfield with Spies chasing back in the nick of time -- the crowd stirred.

And just ten minutes into the final forty, the ten-point gap seemed to be heading in only one direction as Wales threw on attacking threats Dwayne Peel and James Hook at half-back.

Not so though, as within 20 seconds of emerging from the bench, fly-half Hook was found out by the intelligent Jean de Villiers who read the expansive shift of tactics.

The man from Western Province rushed up in an umbrella defensive line to cut off the attempted pass to be found by the new man for a 70-metre stroll to stem the fearsome Welsh tide.

Hook made amends on 57 and 59 minutes with a couple of penalties that brought the scores to 9-20, but crossing the whitewash was surely going to be the only tonic for a shock revival in Cardiff.

Coach De Villiers must have sensed that it was to be a holding on job for the final quarter as the volume and pressure increased dramatically -- not helped by substitute Jaque Fourie's almost immediate sin-binning for going off his feet close to his line.

Subsequently, the tempo continued to rise as Wales ate away at a fast reducing lead with another pair of penalties leaving South Africa searching desperately for much-needed ball that just wasn't coming.

With five minutes remaining the possession statistics continued to elude the Springboks, who were in a desperate frame of mind that will encourage Scotland ahead of next week's second autumn Test.

Man of the match:  Both new Welshmen on debut can be proud of their efforts on home soil but in Cardiff Blues number eight Andy Powell, Wales seem to have finally unearthed a power runner that ultimately counteracted the strength of Pierre Spies and Schalk Burger.

Moment of the match:  Had this opportunistic passage not occurred then the result may have gone in a distinctly different direction.  Thrown onto the field in an attempt to improve Wales' attacking options with ball in hand, James Hook's introduction saw him immediately throw a wide and wild pass that Jean de Villiers looked to have seen coming before the Osprey had.  The Stormers intercept and cruise to the line proved the vital score in the final whistle.

Villain of the match:  You've guessed it, Bakkies Botha!  The muscular lock was at his irritating best as he got in the faces of the opposition, not least when he laid a cheap hit on Ian Evans early on.

The scorers:

For Wales:
Pen:  Halfpenny, Hook 4

For South Africa:
Tries:  Jacobs, De Villiers
Con:  Pienaar 2
Pen:  Pienaar 2

Wales:  15 Lee Byrne, 14 Leigh Halfpenny, 13 Tom Shanklin, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Gareth Cooper, 8 Andy Powell, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Ryan Jones (c), 5 Ian Evans, 4 Alun-Wyn Jones, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Matthew Rees, 1 Gethin Jenkins.
Replacements:  16 Richard Hibbard, 17 Duncan Jones, 18 Ian Gough, 19 Dafydd Jones, 20 Dwayne Peel, 21 James Hook, 22 Andrew Bishop.

South Africa:  15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Adrian Jacobs, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 John Smit (c), 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements:  16 Brian Mujati, 17 Gurthro Steenkamp, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Frans Steyn, 22 Jaque Fourie.

Referee:  Alan Rolland (Ireland)
Touch judges:  Alan Lewis (Ireland), George Clancy (Ireland)
Television match official:  Geoff Warren (England)
Assessor:  Paul Bridgman (England)