South Africa extended their near-total dominance over France, winning their ninth meeting in the last ten with a gritty 32-17 comeback victory in Paris. The win was made all the more impressive by the fact that the Springboks played the entire second half with 14 men. While France showed early promise, they ultimately “cracked under pressure,” allowing the clinical world champions to take control.
The match began as a historic occasion for France. Damian Penaud scored twice, surpassing Serge Blanco’s long-standing try-scoring record and sending the Stade de France into a frenzy. When Springbok lock Lood de Jager was shown a red card just before half-time, it seemed France’s wretched run against the Boks, including their World Cup heartbreak, was finally about to end.
However, the second half was a demonstration of South Africa’s “iron discipline” and mental toughness. They weathered the French attacks and then pounced on the hosts’ mistakes. French discipline “disintegrated,” with a series of penalties culminating in a costly yellow card for Louis Bielle-Biarrey, which nullified their man advantage.
The Springboks were ruthless in their punishment. André Esterhuizen finished off a powerful driving maul, and Grant Williams exploited a “splintered” defence to score again, quickly turning the deficit into a lead. The French team, visibly “rattled,” could not regain their composure.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who kicked perfectly all day, added a late try to his tally to seal the 32-17 win. The result leaves Fabien Galthié searching for answers as his team’s losing streak hits four, while Rassie Erasmus’s “wiser” Boks march on.