South Africa completed a remarkable 32-17 comeback victory against France at the Stade de France.
The match marked special milestones with Siya Kolisi earning his 100th cap. Rassie Erasmus took charge of the Springboks for the 50th time.
France drew first blood in the fifth minute through brilliant attacking play. Thomas Ramos delivered a perfect cross-kick to Damian Penaud, who scored easily for a 7-0 lead.
South Africa responded quickly with a penalty in the tenth minute. The Springboks’ dominant scrum earned them field position and points through Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
The fly-half reduced the deficit to 7-6 in the 14th minute. However, he missed two subsequent penalty attempts that could have given South Africa the lead.
Both teams struggled to establish rhythm in a physical first-half encounter. France held a narrow 14-13 advantage at the break while the Boks lost Lood de Jager to a controversial red card.
The second half began as a tactical chess match with both sides kicking strategically. France gradually gained the upper hand against the 14-man Springboks.
Thomas Ramos extended France’s lead to 17-13 with a 59th-minute penalty. South Africa showed remarkable resilience despite their numerical disadvantage throughout the period.
The momentum shifted dramatically when Louis Bielle-Biarrey received a yellow card. Both teams were reduced to 14 players after his deliberate knock-down.
South Africa capitalised immediately through a powerful driving maul. Andre Esterhuizen crossed for their first try, giving the visitors an 18-17 lead.
The Springboks seized control in the final quarter with devastating effectiveness. Grant Williams extended their advantage with a brilliant individual try in the 70th minute.
Williams collected the ball from a lineout before bamboozling French defenders. His clever dummy and acceleration created the crucial 17-25 scoreline.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu completed the rout with a try in the 77th minute. His deft dummy after a penalty fooled the French defence completely.
South Africa’s ‘bomb squad’ dominated the final stages against tiring French forwards. The Springboks won the physical battle comprehensively in Paris.
The victory represented sweet revenge for their World Cup quarter-final defeat. France’s hopes of home redemption were crushed by South African determination.
