A talented Wales team featuring a backline that included Bleddyn Williams, Malcolm Thomas, Cliff Morgan and Lewis Jones were seen as a team that should have defeated the Springboks coming off the back of a triple crown in 1950. However, a gameplan based around the kicking game of Cliff Morgan was stifled by a huge, physically dominant South African pack with flanker Basie Van Wyk out to obliterate his opposition. The South African team came with an impressive reputation having defeated the All Blacks four times in New Zealand in 1949 (15-11, 12-6, 9-3 and 11-8).
In front of a record crowd South Africa opened the scoring. Centre Tjol Lategan spread the ball to wing Chum Ochse who raced to the corner and scored, much to the dismay of Wales wing Ken Jones and fullback Gerwyn Williams who had attempted to intercept Ochse close to the line. Hannes Brewis missed the ensuing conversion and South Africa led 3-0 at half time.
The kicking game based around the talents of the young Morgan continued for Wales in the second half keeping them in the game although with all the kicking going in-field rather than to the far touchlines South African fullback Johnny Buchler was able to catch every ball and return all of Morgan’s efforts with interest.
Having stayed within three points of the visitors, Wales changed tactics in the last five minutes reverting to a passing and running game with quick ball out of hand to the wings the aim of the home side. South Africa reverted to type also and produced their dogged defence to tackle their way out of Wales’s attacking efforts. Against the run of play, the Springboks then managed to go further ahead by a Brewis drop goal.
Wales, sensing that there was something in the match for them played on with a renewed vigour and in the dying moments produced a sublime move worthy of the 1950 triple crown team. Bleddyn Williams passed the ball to Malcolm Thomas who immediately passed the ball back to Williams in a perfect scissor movement cutting the South African defence to pieces in the process to run up field and plant the ball down firmly near the posts.
Wales had matched South Africa in try count, but the ability to punish from a period of sustained dogged defence still eluded the home side, the opposition, however, had produced it yet again and to great effect.
