Wales under Warren Gatland have grown with each game since the New Zealander took over as head coach last December and their chances of beating South Africa on their home soil for the first time in the two-match series in June appear to be growing as racial tension resurfaced this week.

How much South Africa will resemble the world champions of last October remains to be seen after Peter de Villiers, the first black coach of the Springboks, launched a stinging attack on the Super 14 sides for not selecting enough black players. De Villiers said that his team would be different, but then he has not yet signed a contract with the South African Rugby Football Union because they are still wrangling over whether he will have the final say in selection.

“I am not getting the support that I have been asking for from the Super 14 coaches,” De Villiers told The Star newspaper in Johannesburg. “I am not happy with how black players are being treated at the moment. I don’t know why this is happening, but as soon as the teams are back from their tours, I will speak to the coaches to find out what the problem is. People can expect a few surprise selections when the first Bok squad is named.

“I will have to pick players who I believe have the potential to be Springboks but who haven’t been given opportunities at Super 14 level and therefore are untested.”

The issue also reared its head in cricket this week. Charl Langeveldt, who is mixed race, withdrew from the South Africa squad to tour India because he felt that he did not deserve to be selected ahead of Andre Nel.

De Villiers accused the Lions, who picked two black players last week, the Cheetahs and the Bulls, who picked three apiece, of being the worst offenders.

South Africa’s best two teams in the Super 14 this season, the Sharks, unbeaten in second place, and the Stormers, on the rise in seventh, picked four and five respectively.