France secured a hard-fought 21-19 victory over the Springboks in a thrilling Nations Championship match at Stade de France on Friday. The Springboks, known for their ability to win tight games against the odds, were unable to conjure another great escape despite a forceful second-half comeback. France's win was their first in Paris over the Boks since 2005 and only their second in their last 11 matches against South Africa.
The Springboks were collectively poor in the first half, with ill-discipline and mistakes proving costly. Flank Pieter-Steph du Toit was a standout performer for the Boks, but the general attack and ball handling behind the scrum was poor. Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and scrumhalf Morné van den Berg had a torrid evening, while France's experiment of pairing Maxime Lucu and Antoine Dupont as interchangeable halfbacks created huge problems for the Boks.
France's duo playmaker ploy kept the Boks guessing, and between the two creative forces, France were able to produce tries almost from nothing. The French team largely out-hustled the Boks on defence and won the gain-line battle. Key moments in the match included a penalty try that was not awarded to the Boks when France's Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang was adjudged to have deliberately knocked the ball on inside his own 22.
The Boks might also point to a try from wing Kurt-Lee Arendse that was chalked off when the TV director intervened to highlight that he might have been 1cm offsides. These were smallest of small margins that defined the outcome, but the Boks didn't do enough to take the result out of the hands of the officials. They conceded a raft of penalties in the opening half hour and had two cards for two dangerous tackles.
The Springboks were in a deep hole by halftime, having conceded three tries, two coming while lock Lood de Jager was in the sin bin. The Boks turned over ball six times, which proved costly as France attacked from turnover ball, with Antoine Dupont pulling the strings. The Boks were unable to match the French pace on attack and speed of thought, and with a man down, those problems were compounded.
The second half belonged almost entirely to South Africa, with tries from scrumhalf Cobus Reinach and hooker Malcolm Marx, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit. Replacement Manie Libbok missed the conversion to level the scores, and with seven minutes remaining, there was still time for the Boks to win it. Unfortunately, their lack of accuracy and a killer blow deserted the team.
The outcome leaves the Boks in danger of not qualifying for the Nations Championship final, despite still leading the southern hemisphere standings on 21 points. The All Blacks are undefeated and have matches against Wales and England to come. The Boks face Ireland in Dublin next week, and Rassie Erasmus will have much to ponder as they head to Dublin.
Key points
- France's win was their first in Paris over the Boks since 2005.
- The Springboks were unable to match the French pace on attack and speed of thought.
- The outcome leaves the Boks in danger of not qualifying for the Nations Championship final.
