1998 Wales rugby union tour of Africa

1998 Wales rugby union tour of Africa
Coach(es)	Dennis John
Tour captain(s)	Rob Howley
Summary	P W D L
Total	06 01 00 05
Test match	02 01 00 01
Opponent	P W D L
Zimbabwe	1 1 0 0
South Africa	1 0 0 1
Tour chronology
Previous tour	1997 North America
Next tour	1999 Argentina

The Wales national rugby union team toured southern Africa in June 1998, playing test matches against Zimbabwe and South Africa, as well as tour matches against the Emerging Springboks and three of the South African provincial sides.

Wales head coach Kevin Bowring had resigned at the end of the 1998 Five Nations Championship, and with a replacement yet to be appointed, Dennis John was made caretaker coach ahead of the tour.^[1] Prior to the tour, 18 players from Wales made themselves unavailable to participate, while a further 8 picked up injuries during the tour.^[2]

Wales won their initial match against Zimbabwe in Harare, before moving on to the second leg of the tour in South Africa. Here they would play four tour matches against representative and provincial opposition and a test match against the Springboks. Wales lost all four of the tour matches, and then were defeated by South Africa in the test match. The final scoreline of 96–13 was the biggest defeat Wales had ever had,^[3] and remains so as of 2024^[update].

Pending the appointment of a replacement for coach Kevin Bowring, who resigned after the 1998 Five Nations Championship, Wales named Pontypridd's Dennis John as their interim coach for the tour of southern Africa. With 16 regular squad members unavailable due to injury, including fly-half Neil Jenkins and centre Scott Gibbs, they named a 30-man squad that included 10 uncapped players^[4] A further seven players were injured during the tour, including captain Rob Howley; called up in their place were the likes of Ebbw Vale back rower Kingsley Jones – in what would turn out to be his final Wales call-up – and uncapped Llanelli fly-half Stephen Jones.

Scores and results list Wales's points tally first.

6 June 1998

Zimbabwe	11–49	Wales
Try: Bekker Pen: Tsimba (2)	Report	Try: Hayward (3) Rees (2) A. Thomas (2) Proctor Con: A. Thomas (3) Pen: A. Thomas

National Sports Stadium, Harare Attendance: 6,000 Referee: Johnnie Meuwesen (Namibia)

FB 15 Victor Olonga RW 14 G. Campbell OC 13 John Ewing IC 12 Brendan French LW 11 R. Karimazondo  49' FH 10 Kennedy Tsimba  60' SH 9 Ryan Bekker  70' N8 8 Brendon Dawson (c) OF 7 Mordekai Mwerenga  30' BF 6 Leon Greeff RL 5 Shaun Landman LL 4 Brenton Catterall TP 3 Graham Stewart HK 2 Wayne Barratt  72' LP 1 Gary Snyder Replacements: FL C. McNab  30' WG Dave Walters  49' FB Doug Trivella  60' SH Neill Nortje  70' HK Ian Neilson  72' Coach: Alex Nicholls

FB 15 David Weatherley  31' RW 14 Richard Rees OC 13 Mark Taylor  27' IC 12 Dafydd James LW 11 Wayne Proctor FH 10 Arwel Thomas SH 9 Rob Howley (c)  78' N8 8 Scott Quinnell  56' OF 7 Martyn Williams BF 6 Nathan Thomas RL 5 Andy Moore LL 4 Mark Jones  71' TP 3 John Davies HK 2 Garin Jenkins  56' LP 1 Darren Morris Replacements: CE 16 John Funnell  27' FB 17 Byron Hayward  31' SH 18 Paul John  78' HK 19 Barry Williams  56' PR 20 Mike Griffiths LK 21 Chris Wyatt  71' FL 22 Colin Charvis  56' Coach: Dennis John

12 June 1998

Emerging Springboks	35–13	Wales
Try: Daniels (3) Fleck L. Venter Con: Koen (2) Pen: Koen (2)		Try: James Con: Hayward Pen: Hayward (2)

Secunda Stadium, Secunda Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (Natal)

16 June 1998

Border Bulldogs	24–8	Wales
Try: Heidtmann Van der Walt Con: Bradbrook Pen: Bradbrook (4)		Try: Rees Pen: A. Thomas

Basil Kenyon Stadium, East London Referee: Tappe Henning (Northern Transvaal)

19 June 1998

Natal Sharks	30–23	Wales
Try: Brink (3) Joubert Con: Joubert (2) Pen: Joubert (2)		Try: A. Thomas Hayward Con: A. Thomas (2) Pen: A. Thomas (3)

Kings Park Stadium, Durban Referee: André Watson (Eastern Transvaal)

23 June 1998

Gauteng Falcons	39–37	Wales
Try: Geyer (2) Strydom Lourens Moyle Booysen Con: Van Straaten (2) Van As Pen: Van Straaten		Try: Funnell Arnold Woodard Taylor Con: Hayward (4) Pen: Hayward (3)

Isak Steyl Stadium, Vanderbijlpark Referee: Carl Spannenberg (Western Province)

27 June 1998

South Africa	96–13	Wales
Try: Rossouw (3) Montgomery (2) Terblanche (2) Venter (2) Van der Westhuizen Otto Smith Erasmus Skinstad Hendricks Con: Montgomery (9) Pen: Montgomery	Report	Try: A. Thomas Con: A. Thomas Pen: A. Thomas (2)

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria Attendance: 33,633 Referee: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)

FB 15 Percy Montgomery RW 14 Stefan Terblanche  47' OC 13 André Snyman IC 12 Pieter Muller  40' LW 11 Pieter Rossouw FH 10 Franco Smith SH 9 Joost van der Westhuizen  45' N8 8 André Venter OF 7 Gary Teichmann  58' BF 6 Rassie Erasmus RL 5 Mark Andrews  55' LL 4 Krynauw Otto TP 3 Adrian Garvey  66' HK 2 James Dalton  60' LP 1 Robbi Kempson Replacements: WG 16 McNeil Hendricks  47' CE 17 Henry Honiball  40' SH 18 Werner Swanepoel  45' N8 19 Andrew Aitken  58' FL 20 Bobby Skinstad  55' PR 21 Ollie le Roux  66' HK 22 Naka Drotské  60' Coach: Nick Mallett

FB 15 Byron Hayward  48' RW 14 Dafydd James OC 13 Mark Taylor IC 12 John Funnell  50' LW 11 Garan Evans FH 10 Arwel Thomas SH 9 Paul John  79' N8 8 Kingsley Jones  40' OF 7 Colin Charvis  73' BF 6 Nathan Thomas RL 5 Andy Moore LL 4 Ian Gough TP 3 John Davies  60' HK 2 Barry Williams  66' LP 1 Mike Griffiths Replacements: FB 16 Darril Williams  48' FH 17 Stephen Jones  50' SH 18 David Llewellyn  79' FL 19 Geraint Lewis  73' LK 20 Chris Wyatt  40' PR 21 Darren Morris  60' HK 22 Garin Jenkins  66' Coach: Dennis John

• Cleary, Mick, ed. (1999). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1999-00. Headline. ISBN 0-7472-7531-9.