Saturday’s clash with the Springboks presents a huge opportunity for one player
Rhys Davies of Wales(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)
When South Africa named their matchday squad to play Wales on Saturday, a shudder went down the spine of every Welsh fan at the nightmare-inducing strength of the side.
The Springboks’ reputation for physical dominance is well-earned. Their pack routinely makes mincemeat of those in front of them, and under Rassie Erasmus, South Africa are expected to steamroller a Wales side weakened by injury.
The contrast could not be starker: while Wales’ iconic number 10 shirt is steeped in tradition and reverence, South African rugby legends have long made their mark as enforcers in the engine room. From Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield of yesteryear to Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager in 2025, it is the pack that defines the Springboks.
Wales may not boast the biggest pack, but this week they have their own enforcer in Ospreys second-row Rhys Davies. With Adam Beard and Dafydd Jenkins unavailable, the three-times-capped Davies will start his first game for Wales.
“He’s a beast mate,” said his Ospreys team-mate Sam Parry when asked to describe the giant second-row.
“You watch him go this Saturday now. He’ll be top of the tackle charts and he’ll be into everything. I can’t wait to see him play to be honest.
“He’s been working hard in the background with injuries for a long time and he’s a proper player, Rhys. Now he’s getting his chance he is going to take it. I fully back him.
“If you are going into that sort of arena Rhys is the sort of guy you want beside you who is just going to fly into everything with everything that he’s got.”
The 6ft 6in Davies has been the enforcer of the Ospreys pack for quite some time and would have surely won more Wales caps by now if it wasn’t for injury.
He is a very abrasive character on the field with a nasty edge. In an era when stats are forensically analysed, Davies has a huge engine— but it isn’t all about numbers for the Swansea man, who regularly makes dominant hits.
He is effective at the breakdown and an excellent lineout forward, consistently making life uncomfortable for the opposition and looking every bit the nightmare to play against.
Ospreys second-row Rhys Davies is set to make his first start for Wales(Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)
“He’s had a tough 12 months,” said Ospreys head coach Mark Jones. “If you go back to the end of last season he was in and out a little bit and was battling away with a couple of knee problems.
“If there was any guy who was built for playing against South Africa it’s Rhys. He’s an abrasive guy, he’s very very physical, has got a great mindset around the physical and dirty side of the game. He will do exactly what it says on the tin.”
Victory is likely to be beyond Wales on Saturday, but if they are to stand any chance of making it a contest they cannot allow themselves to be overawed by the Springboks’ pack.
Davies provides exactly the physical presence Wales needs, and he has a huge opportunity to stake a claim for a starting spot in the Six Nations.
“I think we’ve got some good second rows, Rhys definitely has that physical piece,” said Wales head coach Steve Tandy.
“Above the ground as well. He defends really well. He’s had injuries, but I think that’s where he’s finding his way as a professional now, and again, learning how to manage your body throughout the weeks, and again, there’s a bit of luck that goes with that as well.
“We’ve speaking to a lot of the Ospreys, how he’s been consistent with his training on and off the field, which makes a massive difference, and we do feel he has definitely got the physicality for the international game. It’s going to be an awesome test of that physicality on the weekend.”
In many ways, Davies represents the best of Welsh rugby resilience. His career to date has been hampered by injuries, but his determination and sheer physicality make him ideally suited to confront a team like South Africa.
While a Welsh victory on Saturday may be unlikely, Davies’ presence offers a platform to measure himself against one of the toughest packs in world rugby.
How he performs in the set-piece, the breakdown, and around the field could define his role in the team moving forward and provide Wales with a physical presence they will need in the Six Nations.
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