Springboks stun France AGAIN as world champions overcome red card to prevent World Cup revenge
Cobus Reinach celebrates try for Springboks v France in 2025.
The Springboks once again summoned their indomitable spirit to overcome a permanent red card to stun France 32-17 and rub more salt in their wounds.
In a much-hyped encounter – the first between these teams since that infamous 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final – it was South Africa who once again found a way.
Les Bleus had opened up a 14-6 lead through a Damian Penaud brace, who in turn became their record try-scorer, but the Boks responded to claim the win.
That was despite seeing Lood de Jager receive a straight red card at the end of the first half while still behind on the scoreboard.
Cobus Reinach had reduced the arrears with a superb try, but the sending off felt significant. However, as is almost always the case with the back-to-back world champions, they displayed their class and heart to seal an extraordinary success.
They touched down three times in the final 15 minutes through Andre Esterhuizen, Grant Williams and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to break French hearts yet again.
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French players and fans were both desperate for revenge and the hosts got the start they had dreamt of when they manufactured a wonderful early try.
The Springboks had actually done well initially with Jesse Kriel blocking off Thomas Ramos’ path on the left, but the maverick Toulouse full-back has an ability to create something out of very little. He moved to the right, spotted a chance for Penaud and his inch-perfect kick was collected and finished by the wing.
It was the perfect start for Les Bleus, who then continued to have the better of the early stages, but it then became eerily similar to the World Cup quarter-final two years ago.
South Africa did not have too much of the ball but the visitors were pretty efficient with what they did with it and a pair of Feinberg-Mngomezulu penalties got them back to within one point.
Further French ill-discipline then presented the fly-half with two more attempts at the posts, but he was off target with both and that profligacy was to prove costly when Ramos and Penaud once again combined for the home side to open up a 14-6 advantage.
Rassie Erasmus was evidently not happy and after half-an-hour decided to change his loosehead with Gerhard Steenekamp replacing Boan Venter in the front-row.
The effect was not immediately obvious in the scrum, but the Springboks did end up touching down a minute later, thanks to a brilliant individual score from Reinach. The scrum-half slithered through the smallest of gaps before kicking over the last defender and crossing the whitewash to get them back in the contest.
At 14-13 down heading towards the break, South Africa would have been content, but they were dealt a massive setback when De Jager was issued a permanent red card for connecting with the head of Ramos.
Referee Angus Gardner decided against issuing a yellow and sending it to the bunker, with the lock’s actions deemed to always be illegal after he failed to wrap with his left arm, thus resulting in a shoulder charge.
With the visitors down to 14 men, the opportunity was there for Les Bleus to run away with it in the second half. They certainly had their chances with Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Julien Marchand both making breaks down the left but, as they tend to do so well, Erasmus’ side scrambled in defence.
Instead, France had to make do with a penalty for Ramos, leaving the Boks still in the contest with a quarter of the match remaining.
And as Fabien Galthie’s team found out two years ago, you very much don’t want to give the Boks a sniff. After France left the door ajar, South Africa then smashed their way through it via their trusty maul.
A yellow card to Bielle-Biarrey for a deliberate knock-on levelled the number of players on the field for 10 minutes and, from the resultant attack, hybrid player Esterhuizen touched down following a powerful drive.
The momentum had suddenly changed, and after Williams had effectively sealed the win with a third Boks try, Feinberg-Mngomezulu rubberstamped the triumph in the final few minutes.
The teams
France: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Pierre-Louis Barassi, 12 Gael Fickou, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Nolann le Garrec, 8 Mickael Guillard, 7 Paul Boudehent, 6 Anthony Jelonch, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Thibaud Flament, 3 Regis Montagne, 2 Julien Marchand, 1 Baptiste Erdocio
Replacements: 16 Guilaume Cramont, 17 Jean-Baptiste Gros, 18 Dorian Aldegheri, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Hugo Auradou, 21 Oscar Jegou, 22 Maxime Lucu, 23 Nicolas Depoortere
Springboks: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Boan Venter
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Ruan Nortje, 21 Andre Esterhuizen, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok
Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant referees: Nika Amashukeli (GRU), Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FPRO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)