On this evidence, South Africa will defend their status as world champions with a sight more success and skill than did England. Yesterday in Cardiff it seemed that their pride in their title outweighed the vehemence with which their players have been celebrating it. They came to the Welsh capital way out of season, missing six starters from the World Cup final, and yet still won with real ease.

The whole affair was thoroughly entertaining, although it had something of the air of a festival match. You could tell by the change in South Africa’s tactics. Gone was the World Cup final plan (kick everything, including during half-time) and here we had the new-look Springboks - run everything. They were well served by the combination of Francois Steyn and JP Pietersen, who sparked off each other superbly, and even though Andre Pretorius at fly-half is said to be so boring that accountants nod off in his presence, at least he held it together.

South Africa were simply too good and too big for Wales, they gave another demonstration of the realities of modern international rugby, where you have to smash at the breakdown with sheer power. The Boks had it, from their giant props to Schalk Burger in the back row. Wales did not.

The home side, considering that at one stage they faced a rout, managed to come home with a degree of respectability. Strangely, Wales showed passion well after half-time. James Hook did his level best, Gavin Henson made nonsense of all the months of his nonselection, not least by proving that the art of midfield passing will never be dead as long as he is out there.

Wales also fell between several stools in the way they approached the game. In the end, they decided to run or kick to touch no fewer than six kickable penalties. Fair enough, they were usually well adrift and it is always good public relations when you opt not to kick a goal. What it is not good for is your score. Gethin Jenkins, the Wales captain, really should have called up Henson to give Wales some scoreboard momentum. So many people in rugby forget that the best PR of all is to win the match.

But while it would be ridiculously hard to criticise Nigel Davies, the Welsh caretaker coach in his first and last game in charge, Wales were not sent out equipped to play this match. Their three lineout men, Ian Evans, Alun Wyn Jones and Jonathan Thomas, all played well individually, with Thomas especially having a splendid match. But to have all three of these talented but rather lightweight men in the same team left the Welsh pack without a hard core. Robin Sowden-Taylor was simply outpowered on the flank, and Rhys Thomas was too green to anchor the scrum, so Wales were left battering courageously but vainly against a giant green wall.

This is their last match before the dawning of the Warren Gatland era and it would be a nonsense to pretend that the new coach does not have work to do. But watching Wales yesterday, you sensed strongly that their areas of neglect – up front, breakdown and defence – are those areas where Gatland is strong. The Prince William Cup has gone to the southern hemisphere, handed over by the young man himself. It will only return when Wales get real about modern rugby.

South Africa scored three memorable tries before half-time, and had been so dominant at close quarters and at the breakdown that the willing Welsh seemed to be hornets buzzing outside a plate-glass window, clamouring for an entrance that was denied. Hook and Henson were prevalent and the Welsh locks worked hard, but the momentum and power were with South Africa.

So were the tries. Steyn had already put the Springboks in front with a monster penalty after Jonathan Thomas was unfairly adjudged to have made a high tackle on Juan Smith. Then Smith came again. South Africa won a lineout, Steyn gave an inside pass for Pietersen to draw the defence and after the ball was recycled, Smith merely motored through a weak tackle from Morgan Stoddart.

Two more Springbok hammer blows came near the half-hour mark. Pietersen came gliding up the middle and popped off a delightful pass to Steyn. After the ruck, they attacked to the right and Burger, John Smit and Johann Muller handled to send Jaque Fourie over.

Fourie scored again three minutes later. Burger and Andre Pretorius handled beautifully, sprung Pietersen and the wing ushered Fourie on his way.

Wales were relieved to score right on half-time. Superb passes from Henson and Rhys Thomas, of all people, sent Stoddart through. He was held out by Pietersen but Colin Charvis worked his way over from the breakdown.

It was all done and dusted early in the second half, sparked by a dreadful pass masquerading as pure genius from Smit. He flung the ball way in front of Habana and at knee level. This forced the wing to put on the burners in panic and when he picked up the ball deftly he threw the Welsh defensive line and it was a simple matter for him to put Pietersen over for the try. The conversion made it 29-5.

Then we had this rather odd Welsh revival in the third quarter when the team showed passion, and the crowd provided noise, for the first time. Wales attacked in waves and Albert van den Berg was sent to the sin-bin for killing the play. After his departure, a high kick from Hook was caught by Stoddart, who returned to earth and touched down.

There was even the odd punch-up at this stage and anyone supporting Wales could have done with a good rumble much earlier if it raised their tempers. However, Wynand Olivier and Ruan Pienaar then sent Ryan Kankowski sprinting outside Sonny Parker for another try. Considering that Kankowski is only third choice for his country behind Danie Rossouw and Pierre Spies at No 8, then South Africa can be said to be rather tasty in this position.

But at least Wales must have been attacking to the end, because Bismarck du Plessis was sent to the sin-bin for killing the ball. However, the interest in the closing stages centred round whether Ricky Januarie could pick his 50th fight of the game. Fair play to him, what he lacked in height and talent he made up in sheer temper. South Africa’s season is over, they are the world champions and it seems they will continue to conduct themselves as such.

Wales: M Stoddart (T James 69min); M Jones, S Parker, G Henson, T Shanklin; J Hook (C Sweeney 76min), D Peel (M Phillips 53min); G Jenkins (capt), H Bennett (TR Thomas 53min), R Thomas (D Jones 69min), I Evans (L Charteris 53min), AW Jones, C Charvis (A Popham 61min), J Thomas, R Sowden-Taylor.

South Africa: R Pienaar; JP Pietersen (A Ndungane 74min), J Fourie, F Steyn, B Habana; A Pretorius (W Olivier 59min), R Januarie (C Jantjes 78min); CJ van der Linde (B du Plessis 74min), J Smit (capt), J du Plessis (H van der Merwe 29-35, 64min), B Botha (A van den Berg 46min), J Muller, S Burger, R Kankowski (H Lobberts 78min), J Smith.

Yellow cards: South Africa:Van den Berg (48min), B du Plessis (77min) Tries: Charvis 40, Stoddart 51 Conversion: Hook

Tries: Smith 20, Fourie 28, 31, Pietersen 45, Kankowski 67 Conversions: Pretorius (3). Penalty: Steyn

Referee: C White (England). Attendance: 56,756