Dragon hooker Elliot Dee flew in as cover for Dewi Lake, who is set to continue his record of starting every Test under Tandy. Lake, 27, will captain Wales in the 23‑man squad that faced South Africa in Durban.

After the 39‑24 win over Fiji, Rees‑Zammit and Edwards were omitted, leaving Ellis Mee and Sam Costelow on the bench, with both later dropped for the South Africa game. A new centre pairing – Thomas with Llewellyn – will line up in the middle, while Hawkins moves to the replacement bench to cover fly‑half. Reuben Morgan‑Williams replaces Kieran Hardy on the bench, and Mann returns to blind‑side flanker alongside Jac Morgan and Aaron Wainwright. Reffell makes his first international appearance in a year.

Tandy noted the squad changes as a chance to “freshen up the team” after a long season. Wales have won three and lost eight of 11 internationals in his first year, with a 73‑0 defeat to South Africa the previous season. The Springboks, world champions, bring deep depth, and Tandy says the focus is on physical edge and testing against the best.