That’s the happy position that Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus finds himself in as he prepares his South Africa side for their 14th Test of the year.
To date, they have won 11 and lost two – and there aren’t many who think they won’t make it 12 out of 14 against Wales at the Principality Stadium on Saturday.
Erasmus’ opposite number, Steve Tandy, isn’t in the same position.
He is without 12 players because of international regulations, has his skipper, Jac Morgan, on the injury list along with hat-trick hero in the last match against New Zealand, Tom Rogers, while Josh Adams is suspended.
This will be Wales’ 11th Test of the year, and to date they can only boast two wins over Japan.
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Erasmus insists there is still much to play for given the Springboks will complete a clean-sweep of their northern hemisphere tour if they can add a win over Wales to those secured against Japan, France, Italy and Ireland.
Cobus Reinach, one of the double World Cup winners, will win his 50th cap when he comes off the bench today, while another player with two World Cup wins to his name, centre Damian de Allende will move to within three of his century.
Lurking on the bench will be Eben Etzebeth, the giant lock who is already South Africa’s record cap holder.
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When he appears today he will win his 141st cap, taking him level with Brian O’Driscoll in seventh place on the all-time international list.
Siya Kolisi, the Springboks’ inspirational skipper, joined the 100-cap club earlier on the tour and he is once again leading the side in Cardiff.
It means the Springboks starting line-up boasts 525 caps - 223 in the backline and 302 up front - while there are a further 374 caps on the bench.
“We’ve used a total of 49 players in Test matches this season, which is a testament to the depth we have been developing with an eye on the 2027 Rugby World Cup,” said Springboks head coach Erasmus.
“We knew from the outset that we would lose players for this match due to their club commitments, and we are pleased with the quality of the team we’ve selected.
“We’ve been rotating our players throughout the year, and this group has been together for close to five weeks, so many of these combinations are fully settled.
“I’d like to thank the provincial unions and clubs who released these players to represent our country this weekend, so we could field a strong side capable of finishing off our November tour on a high note.
“Both teams are in a similar situation with regards to the availability of players, but they have a balanced squad with a few seasoned players and several younger guys who will be desperate to make a statement.
“So, we’re expecting them to come out firing and to throw everything at us. This is also the last match of the year for both teams, so there’s no doubt they’ll give everything to finish their season on a high note and try to improve their world ranking with the RWC draw coming up next week.”
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Tandy’s men know exactly what is coming at them and one of the biggest challenges will be to cut down on the 11 penalties per game they have conceded in their three outings to date this month.
They’ve also suffered four yellow cards and a red.
They may have scored 11 tries in those three games, but they have conceded 16. Shutting the front door against the Springboks is vital.
"We have to be smarter because we spent 10 minutes in our 22 defending last weekend," said Tandy.
"The bravery, toughness, quality and physicality they put in was outstanding, but we wanted to do that less because you can see what we can do when we're at the other end of the field."
🏉 Wales vs South Africa — Match Factfile
📍 Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
📅 Date: Saturday, November 29
⏰ Kick-off: 3.10pm (UK time)
📺 Live on: TNT Sports & S4C
💥 Headline
Wales host world champions South Africa in Cardiff, with Steve Tandy warning his side that if they go into their shells against the Springboks’ power game, “they’ll swallow you up”.
🧾 Competition
Autumn Nations Series
🔎 Players to Watch
Wales: Dan Edwards, Rhys Davies
South Africa: Damian de Allende, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
💬 Coach’s View
“Both teams were in a similar situation with regards to the availability of players, but they have a balanced squad with a few seasoned players and several younger guys who will be desperate to make a statement," said Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus.
💷 What’s at Stake
Wales have only beaten Japan in the last two years and face the toughest test in world rugby against a Springboks side ranked No.1 and fresh from back-to-back World Cup triumphs.
South Africa are building depth and momentum ahead of a packed 2026 season.
📈 Odds
Wales: 40/1
Draw: 50/1
South Africa: 1/500
Odds supplied by DragonBet.
