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South Africa, rugby world champions, gave outgoing coach Jake White the perfect send off in his last Test, by defeating Wales 34-12 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

John Smit, Springbok captain, received the inaugural Prince William Cup from the eldest son of Prince Charles, Britain’s heir to the throne.

Ruan Pienaar scores South Africa’s fifth try against Wales in the Prince William Cup

Winger JP Pietersen, one of nine World Cup winners in the Springbok starting side, was in superb form, scoring one of South Africa’s five tries and setting up two for centre Jaque Fourie.

The victory left coach White with a Test record of 36 wins, 17 losses and one draw from 54 matches after his four years in charge.

South Africa, in their first match since defeating England in October’s World Cup final in Paris, weathered early Welsh pressure and then constructed a commanding 22-0 lead by the 31st minute.

Wales, playing their first match since their shock World Cup exit at the hands of Fiji, eventually got on the scoreboard on the stroke of half-time thanks to a try from veteran back-row forward Colin Charvis.

Francois Steyn’s penalty gave the Springboks an early lead, before the visitors scored with their first meaningful visit into Welsh territory.

Lock Johann Muller, taking the place of World Cup winner Victor Matfield, won a lineout on half way and the ball was worked across field where fly-half Andre Pretorius’s pass released Smith for a 20th minute try.

Pretorius converted and the Springboks were ahead 10-0 ahead.

Fourie strikes twice

Wales, under caretaker coach Nigel Davies ahead of the arrival of new permanent boss Warren Gatland next week, should have had their first points minutes later but James Hook, on the edge of the 22, somehow put his straightforward penalty kick wide.

Fourie then scored his double, with the first coming after a break by scrum-half Ricky Januarie and fine interplay between Steyn and Pietersen, before three minutes later Pietersen, from a well-timed pass by Pretorius, burst through a gap between Hook and Henson and realeased the unopposed Fourie for a try which Pretorius converted.

With the final play of the first-half Wales at last scored some points as Charvis broke the record of Italy’s Carlo Checchinato for the most Test tries by a forward with his 22nd touchdown.

Hook’s conversion, however, hit the left upright and South Africa were 22-5 ahead at half-time.

Habana stars

The world champs extended their lead six minutes into the second half when star wing Bryan Habana, the world player of the year, sprinted clear of the Welsh defence and drew Stoddart before sending Pietersen over with a perfectly-timed pass.

Wales were given a boost when replacement South Africa lock Albert van den Berg was sin-binned for killing the ball and while the Springboks were a man down, Stoddart scored for the home side after he collected Hook’s chip kick into the corner.

However, the Boks hit back 13 minutes from time with a try from the only debutant in their side, Ryan Kankowski, as tempers threated to get out of control.

The impressive Sharks number 8 used a three-man overlap as a decoy to beat the retreating cover on the inside for a fine try.