World champion South Africa delivered an exhibition of remarkable resilience. They beat France 32-17, shaking off both an early deficit and a red card disadvantage. This result handed Les Tricolores another painful defeat against their fierce Springbok rivals.
The match marked the first confrontation between the teams since South Africa narrowly eliminated host France from the 2023 World Cup with a 29-28 win.
First Half Turmoil and Discipline Failure
The opening half carried a feeling of déjà-vu. France, the Six Nations champion, held a tight 14-13 lead at the break. This lead was mostly built on two sharp tries from right winger Damian Penaud.
Crucially, France gained a major numerical edge just before halftime. Springbok lock Lood De Jager received a red card for a dangerous shoulder-to-head collision with French fullback Thomas Ramos. France looked forward to playing the entire second half against just 14 players.
Earlier in the half, Penaud set a record. He scored his 39th test try, becoming France’s all-time leading try scorer. Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted two of a string of penalties awarded to South Africa due to French indiscipline.
Penaud scored his second try after quick hands from Ramos and Romain Ntamack. However, France’s sloppy defense immediately allowed Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach to break away and score a converted try just before De Jager’s dismissal.
Springboks Capitalize as French Side Fades
Despite facing a numerical deficit, the French team failed to convert key attacking chances early in the second half. Consequently, their advantage evaporated when French left winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey received a 10-minute sin bin. He deliberately knocked the ball on.
With the teams temporarily playing 14 against 14, the Springboks struck decisively:
- Go-Ahead Try: Following an attacking lineout, flanker André Esterhuizen bundled over the line after a powerful rolling maul. Feinberg-Mngomezulu missed the difficult conversion.
- Victory Sealed: Replacement scrumhalf Grant Williams then exploited a flat defense. He looped around the right side and scored a converted try, crushing the remaining hopes of Fabien Galthié’s side.
Rugby Championship winner South Africa held firm throughout the second half. France could only manage one penalty goal from Ramos before the hour mark, failing to utilize their extra player. After that point, the French side rapidly lost momentum.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, who achieved his 100th Test match milestone but was substituted at halftime, cheered his teammates from the sidelines as they completed their superb comeback.
Disappointment and Lessons Learned
Fullback Thomas Ramos acknowledged the disappointment after the final whistle. “We need to move on,” Ramos said. He stressed the need to “stop dwelling on what happened two years ago [at the World Cup] and believe in our system.”
Ramos admitted, “We’re very disappointed tonight. We came up against a stronger team, but it’s important to build team spirit in matches like these.”
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