World champion South Africa showcased remarkable resilience by defeating France 32-17, overcoming both an early deficit and a red card. This result handed Les Tricolores yet another painful loss against their Springbok rivals.
The match marked the first meeting between the two sides since South Africa eliminated host France from the 2023 World Cup with a narrow 29-28 victory.
Red Card Drama and Halftime Lead
The first half suggested déjà-vu for South Africa. France, the Six Nations champion, led 14-13 at halftime, largely due to two tries scored by right winger Damian Penaud.
The French also gained a major advantage just before the break. Springbok lock Lood De Jager received a red card for a dangerous shoulder-to-head challenge against French fullback Thomas Ramos. France anticipated playing the entire second half against only 14 players.
Earlier, Penaud became France’s all-time leading try scorer with 39 tries after an early converted score set up by Ramos. However, French indiscipline handed South Africa a string of penalties, two of which were converted by flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Penaud later scored his second try after a quick sequence involving Ramos and flyhalf Romain Ntamack. Sloppy French defending allowed Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach to score a converted try just moments before De Jager was sent off.
Springboks Rally and France Fades
Despite the numerical disadvantage, the French failed to convert several key attacking opportunities in the second half. The team advantage was then nullified when French left winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey was given a 10-minute sin bin for a deliberate knock-on.
The teams were temporarily playing 14 against 14. The Springboks immediately capitalized:
- Attack: Following an attacking lineout and a powerful rolling maul, flanker André Esterhuizen scored a try. Feinberg-Mngomezulu missed the subsequent conversion.
- Decisive Blow: Replacement scrumhalf Grant Williams then caught the defense flat. He looped around the right side for a converted score, crushing any remaining hope for Fabien Galthié’s team.
Rugby Championship winner South Africa held firm throughout the second half. France failed to make use of their extra player until Ramos landed a penalty just before the hour mark.
After that, the French side faded rapidly. Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, who played his 100th Test match and was substituted at halftime, cheered his teammates from the touchline as they completed the superb comeback.
Disappointment and Reflection
Fullback Thomas Ramos acknowledged the disappointment after the final whistle. “We need to move on. We need to stop dwelling on what happened two years ago [at the World Cup] and believe in our system,” Ramos said.
“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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