Wales rookie locks prepared for Springboks battle

Men’s world friendly: South Africa v Wales

Venue: Twickenham Date: Saturday, 22 June Kick-off: 14:00 BST

Coverage: Live connected S4C, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru nan BBC Sport website and app, positive unrecorded matter commentary and followed by lucifer study connected nan BBC Sport website and app.

Saturday will beryllium a mighty baptism of occurrence for caller Wales second-row business of Matthew Screech and Ben Carter astatine Twickenham.

The Dragons duo will battalion down against South Africa's fastener pairing of Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert, whose past world crippled together was nan World Cup last triumph against New Zealand successful Paris successful October 2023.

Etzebeth has much caps (119) than nan Wales starting battalion (118) and nan Springboks starting brace connected nan play person 192 internationals betwixt them.

In contrast, nan Wales brace person 12 caps which only includes 5 starts but Carter insists they will not beryllium overawed.

"It is exciting," Carter told nan Scrum V podcast.

"They are nan world champions truthful who amended to trial yourself against.

"I emotion playing pinch Screech, he has been a awesome thief to maine coming done astatine nan Dragons and I'm looking guardant to doing it successful nan Welsh shirt."

Carter, 23, is nan much knowledgeable subordinate connected nan world shape aft starting 5 matches successful his 11 Tests truthful far.

His past Test was against South Africa successful nan World Cup warm-up lucifer wherever nan Springboks hit Wales 52-16 successful Cardiff successful August.

Carter says he has a "bit of a point" to beryllium aft nan "devastation" of missing retired connected nan world tourney successful France.

He was past forced to beryllium retired nan Six Nations because of a hamstring injury.

Carter utilized that play to bulk up and hopes that will thief him against nan Springboks.

"I americium astir apt 5 aliases six kilos bigger," said Carter.

"I put a batch connected erstwhile I was injured pinch my hamstring and successful nan first fewer games I was a spot worried it was excessively much, but I consciousness I person sewage utilized to it and carrying that other weight successful collisions.

"It will only use maine successful my profession nan quicker I tin get utilized to being a spot heavier.

"If I tin get to a constituent pinch my fittingness levels wherever I was before, that will only beryllium beneficial.

"One of my work-ons since nan commencement of my master profession has been nan collisions and physicality.

"This play I put a large attraction connected getting bigger and stronger to thief successful that aspect, truthful Saturday will beryllium a superb test."

Wales person a second-row wounded situation pinch Exeter duo Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza ineligible for nan South Africa lucifer because it falls extracurricular World Rugby's world window, which intends England-based players are unavailable.

Racing 92's Will Rowlands has been rested for nan summer, Cory Hill has joined Adam Beard, Teddy Williams and Rhys Davies connected nan wounded list, while Seb Davies is suspended.

This has opened nan doorway for Screech, who has only made 1 world quality arsenic a replacement against Argentina successful 2021.

"He has been great," said Wales coach Warren Gatland.

"Matthew has travel into america connected a mates of occasions and we person been impressed by nan measurement he has trained.

"He looks physically successful bully style and has done a bully occupation successful nan set-piece.

"I person spoken to nan 2 2nd rows successful position of our expectations. They cognize really beingness nan crippled will beryllium and that's portion of nan domiciled successful position of embracing nan situation coming their way.

"If they do that and attraction connected nan set-piece, that's each I tin inquire for. There is simply a large chance for them to show america wherever they are at."

Screech mightiness beryllium 31 but Gatland believes he tin still beryllium he tin make nan adjacent World Cup successful 2027.

"The point is, 31 is not aged for a tight forward," said Gatland.

"I look astatine it arsenic a bully property and dream players deliberation they will still beryllium young and fresh capable for nan adjacent World Cup.

"I dream it's portion of his information to spell retired there, put his hands up and play well."