The Springboks ended their 2025 season with a record-breaking 73-0 victory over Wales in Cardiff, scoring 11 tries to cap an unbeaten end-of-year tour. However, lock Eben Etzebeth's late red card for eye gouging overshadowed the dominant performance. The win matched the Boks' all-time try record of 81 in a season, achieved in fewer matches than the 2007 team.
The Springboks delivered a clinical demolition of Wales at the Principality Stadium on November 29, 2025, securing a 73-0 win with 11 tries and a halftime lead of 28-0. This marked their biggest victory ever in Cardiff and completed a perfect 5-0 record on the end-of-year tour, the second consecutive unbeaten outing.
The match began with loosehead prop Gerhard Steenekamp scoring in the ninth minute after an 11-phase build-up, showcasing South Africa's gain-line dominance. Wing Ethan Hooker added the second try soon after, beating three defenders from a wide scrum play. Jasper Wiese claimed the third when the Boks' scrum pushed Wales over their own tryline, and scrumhalf Morné van den Berg sniped for the fourth just before halftime.
The second half brought more punishment: tighthead Wilco Louw powered over early, followed by flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu's quick-tap try for his eighth of the year. Wing Canan Moodie showed pace for the next, centre André Esterhuizen surged through for his, and Feinberg-Mngomezulu added a second. Lock Ruan Nortjé scored his first Test try, and Etzebeth crossed for the 11th before his 79th-minute incident.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu contributed 28 points with two tries and nine conversions from 11 attempts. The performance highlighted the Boks' tactical discipline, including dominant scrums, mauls, and contestable kicks, against an inexperienced Welsh side that lost all but two Tests in 2025.
Etzebeth's red card for thrusting his thumb into Wales flank Alex Mann's eye drew widespread criticism. The 141-cap veteran faces a likely ban of at least 12 weeks, impacting the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship but sparing the Boks until mid-2026. Despite the triumph, the incident tarnished the team's image, with reports noting it undermined standout efforts from players like Esterhuizen and Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
The victory equalled the 2007 World Cup winners' season try tally of 81, but in 14 Tests compared to their 17, averaging 5.8 tries per match versus 4.8.