Wales' record defeat to South Africa in Quilter Nations Series was 'men against boys', says Dan Biggar - 'Nothing learned from that'
Updated 29/11/2025 at 18:59 GMT
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Dan Biggar called the difference between Wales and South Africa "men against boys" as the world champion Springboks left Cardiff with a 73-0 win in the final match of the Quilter Nations Series. Wales were heavily depleted, with 13 players returning to their Gallagher PREM clubs, owing to the match falling outside the international window. It was Wales' biggest-ever home defeat.
'It was men against boys today' - Biggar discusses Wales' biggest home defeat
Video credit: TNT Sports
Wales' record 73-0 home defeat against South Africa in the Quilter Nations Series was a case of "men against boys," according to TNT Sports expert Dan Biggar.
Steve Tandy was unable to pick any of his players plying their trade in the Gallagher PREM, with the match falling outside the international window.
That left Wales 13 players short of the side that lost 52-26 to New Zealand last week, while they were still reeling from the absence of captain Jac Morgan, who sustained an injury after dislocating his shoulder in the act of scoring in the 52-28 loss to Argentina.
World champions South Africa themselves made eight changes from their 24-13 win over Ireland in Dublin, but still had a bench containing 374 caps, more than the entire Wales 23, with 306.
While suffering three heavy defeats in autumn, Wales did end their losing streak at home and ensure they will be in the second pot for the World Cup draw on Wednesday with a last-gasp 24-23 win over Japan.
But at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, the young Welsh side were unable to stop the Springboks from inflicting a record defeat on them, overtaking the 68-14 demolition by England in March.
TNT Sports expert Biggar, who represented Wales 112 times in the golden years between 2008 and 2023, felt that there were some positives to take from the rest of the autumn campaign but that this was a game too far.
The former fly-half said: "If you had finished last week, there would have been lots of positives, now everyone is going away with a similar feeling to what they went away with in that England game in the Six Nations, even worse now, 73-0.
"There was nothing learned from that, we had [Welsh Rugby Union director of rugby] Dave Reddin on before saying you never want to turn down the chance of playing against the world champions.
"Well, I bet there are a few players out there who wish they had had the chance to turn that down.
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"There are players out there as well ultimately today, because of the 13 guys going back to the PREM and not being available outside the window, there are probably players out there that just aren’t quite at this level.
"Let alone going up against the back-to-back world champions, favourites for the next World Cup and the difference in power, pace, set piece, it was men against boys today and I don’t think anybody learned anything."
While it was a difficult afternoon for Tandy and his Welsh side, it was the complete opposite for South Africa, who wrapped up another impressive autumn campaign, joining only England as an unbeaten side.
It was another showing of their incredible depth as they build towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup, looking to become the first side to win three tournaments in a row.
One of the new faces this week, Andre Esterhuizen, was awarded player of the match, while Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was again at his imperious best and scored 28 points.
Former Wales captain Sam Warburton agreed with his former teammate that this challenge was a step too far for the home side and acknowledged the difference between the two sides’ depth.
"I completely agree with Bigs, I actually felt for some of the players out there today," he said.
"Don’t get me wrong, they have had really good performances at club level, but when you come to international, it is a different ball game and there are players there who would never have experienced that quality of opposition ever and may never again.
"I think if South Africa lose 13 players, they can cope with it. If Wales, in the state we are in, lose 13 players, that hurts, that really hurts the squad depth because there are players there who simply aren’t ready.
"[It is a] proud moment for them, amazing occasion to play against South Africa, but we just simply do not have enough quality at this level."
Watch and stream the Gallagher PREM, Quilter Nations Series and Premiership Women's Rugby on TNT Sports and discovery+
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