Ex-Wales international Richie Rees has questioned the wisdom of Wales’ upcoming clash with South Africa, arguing that the fixture “isn’t worth playing” given the scale of player unavailability facing Steve Tandy’s side.

The world number ones smashed Eddie Jones’ Japan 61-7 at Wembley Stadium this weekend, and fears are that a weakened Wales outfit could take a similar drubbing in Cardiff. While the game will certainly add to the WRU’s coffers, Rees fears being on the end of a thumping could set an already low-on-confidence Wales back further.

The match, set for November 29 at the Principality Stadium, falls outside World Rugby’s official international window, meaning players based outside Wales will not be released by their clubs.

That leaves Tandy without a dozen key names, including Gloucester duo Tomos Williams and Freddie Thomas, Saracens pair Rhys Carre and Nick Tompkins, Bath’s Archie Griffin and Louie Hennessey, Bristol’s Louis Rees-Zammit, Exeter’s Dafydd Jenkins, Harlequins’ Jarrod Evans and Leicester’s Nicky Smith.

With so many absentees, Tandy is expected to turn to a clutch of uncapped or fringe regional players such as Dragons hooker Brodie Coghlan, Cardiff loosehead Danny Southworth, and Ospreys forwards James Fender and Morgan Morse.

All four of Wales’ professional regions are also in United Rugby Championship action that same weekend, compounding the selection headache.

Speaking on BBC’s Scrum V, former Cardiff coach Rees said the game could do more harm than good.

“I just think you have to weigh up the pros and cons,” said Rees. “For me, that South Africa game isn’t worth playing. We’re missing that many players against the best team in the world.”

He added that the timing and circumstances of the fixture risk undermining both the national team and the regional game.

“For those that they bring in, the regions are playing at the same time and those who are playing outside of Wales, we lose,” he said. “So are we setting those players up to succeed, or not? Is it affecting the rest of the game?

“At some point, someone has to say, playing this fixture — is it going to be more detrimental to the group and where we are in Welsh rugby than us just not having a fixture?”