Wales urged to be ruthless as Warren Gatland hunts Springboks scalp

Warren Gatland has demanded an 80-minute show of "ruthlessness and concentration" when Wales pursue a prized and all too rare Tri-Nations scalp today.

World champions South Africa, led by their imperious second-row forward Victor Matfield, will arrive at the Millennium Stadium as firm favourites to strike another knockout blow for the southern hemisphere heavyweights at Wales' expense. The Springboks have reeled off 11 successive victories against their Cardiff hosts, while it's 23 wins on the bounce for New Zealand and 14 wins out of the last 17 Tests from an Australian perspective.

So Wales' repeated failure to crack the code of success against world rugby's big three is hardly something they have inherited under Gatland.

Admittedly, his record with Wales against them is not good - played 11, lost ten - and another loss this weekend would allow the harbingers of doom a field day just two weeks before the All Blacks roll into town.

"In football terms, we are going out every week and having a crack against Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal," said head coach Gatland.

"We are a mid-table team trying to improve ourselves by playing against the best. It's frustrating for me as a coach because we start well and then there is a drop of tempo, or we start poorly and then pick it up.

"You have to be on the ball for 80 minutes, and we do tend to occasionally switch off. We have to get our act together and maintain ruthlessness and concentration for 80 minutes. We are putting players under pressure at training, replicating the intensity of matches."

Gatland's starting line-up includes 11 players who have toured with the British and Irish Lions, with two more - Ryan Jones and Andy Powell - on replacement duty.

With Lee Byrne available again after injury at full-back and James Hook's rich attacking prowess being utilised in midfield, there is a more threatening feel to Wales behind the scrum than for last weekend's 25-16 loss against Australia.

Gatland has also handed 18-year-old wing George North a Test debut, with the 6ft 4in, 16st 7lb prospect set to mark Springboks speed machine Bryan Habana.

Wales: L Byrne (Ospreys); G North (Scarlets), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), J Hook (Ospreys), S Williams (Ospreys); S Jones (Scarlets), M Phillips (Ospreys); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), M Rees (Scarlets, capt), A Jones (Ospreys), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), A-W Jones (Ospreys), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), J Thomas (Ospreys). Replacements: H Bennett (Ospreys), P James (Ospreys), R Jones (Ospreys), A Powell (Wasps), R Rees (Cardiff Blues), A Bishop (Ospreys), C Czekaj (Cardiff Blues).

South Africa: G Aplon; B Basson, F Steyn, J de Villiers, B Habana; M Steyn, R Pienaar; T Mtawarira, B du Plessis, J du Plessis, B Botha, V Matfield (capt), D Stegmann, J Smith, P Spies.Replacements: C Ralepelle, CJ van der Linde, F van der Merwe, TBC, F Hougaard, Z Kirchner, P Lambie.

Referee: S Walsh (New Zealand).