Preview: South Africa v France
South Africa will be hoping to build on last weekend's impressive performance when they host France in their second Test, in Durban on Saturday.
Springbok head coach Allister Coetzee could not hide his delight after his side's 37-14 victory in Pretoria but he will be the first to admit that a wounded France side is a dangerous one and the Boks can expect a sterner examination from les Bleus this weekend.
The win in Pretoria was a morale-boosting one for Coetzee and his troops after their poor performances in 2016, and although it was a fine allround effort from the men in green and gold, there were several outstanding individual performances which deserves special praise.
Leading the way was the halfback pairing of Elton Jantjies and Ross Cronjé who impressed with their game management and Jantjies, in particular, shone as his side's chief playmaker.
It must be remembered, however, that the Boks secured that result when Brice Dulin was yellow carded midway through the second half and both sides can ill afford poor discipline in this Test.
After fading badly during the latter stages of the series opener, les Bleus have shown their intentions for this encounter by selecting a strong matchday squad for this Test.
Much has been said about the absence from last week's Test line-up of France's Clermont and Toulon players, as they arrived late in South Africa after contesting the Top 14 Final but.
The return of stalwarts like captain Guilhem Guirado, Rabah Slimani and François Trinh-Duc add experience and that trio will have to play key roles if France want to turn the tables on their hosts.
Despite losing in Pretoria, France were competitive for large periods and had a bulk of the possession (58%) and also enjoyed more territory (60%) in that Test.
After his side's win in the last weekend's series opener, the Springbok coach reckons France will no doubt increase their physicality and effort in the second Test.
“The forward battle will always be a very important part of the game,” said Coetzee.
“We know we will be up against a very well prepared French team in the second Test and we are readying ourselves for that. They would like to bounce back and we would like to continue with our processes. Both teams have a lot to too play for.
“Although not perfect, I’m pleased with the set-pieces and expect a huge onslaught from the French in both areas. We created a number of scoring opportunities, which is a great positive, and hopefully our execution will be better this time.”
Players to watch:
For South Africa: One player who hit the ground running on his Test debut last weekend was full-back Andries Coetzee. The Lions stalwart caught the eye with several barnstorming runs from the back which gave his side much needed momentum and he will be keen to kick on although he will be closely marked this weekend. Also keep an eye on Siya Kolisi who delivered one of his best performances for his country in Pretoria. Kolisi impressed on attack, defence and at the breakdowns and a similar shift from Stormers skipper will cement his place in the starting line-up.
For France: Keep an eye young centre Damian Penaud, who is set to make his Test debut. Penaud represented his country at U20 level and is a classy midfielder who played a pivotal role in Clermont's successful Top 14 campaign. The son of former les Bleus fly-half Alain Penaud, the 20-year-old is a chip off the old block and just like his dad he will face the Springboks in a Test at Kings Park, something the older Penaud did when these sides had to settle for a 20-20 draw there in 1993. Another player of whom much is expected is Penaud's Clermont team-mate Scott Spedding, who returns to his hometown and he will be keen to shine at his former stomping ground where he represented the Sharks at Super Rugby and Currie Cup level.
Head-to-head: France have received a timely boost with the return of first-choice hooker and regular captain Guilhem Guirado whose duel with South Africa's Malcolm Marx should have a big impact on this result. Guirado's selection will improve France's set-piece play and he also thrives with the added responsibility of leadership. In Marx, he faces an impressive physical specimen who is a superb ball carrier and his superb attacking ability in Pretoria made him a handful for les Bleus' defence and he was eventually named man of the match in that Test.
Previous results:
2017: South Africa won 37-14 in Pretoria
2013: South Africa won 19-10 in Paris
2010: South Africa won 42-17 in Cape Town
2009: France won 20-13 in Toulouse
2006: France won 36-26 in Cape Town
2005: France won 26-20 in Paris
2005: South Africa won 27-13 in Port Elizabeth
2005: They drew 30-30 in Durban
2002: France won 30-10 in Marseilles
2001: France won 20-10 in Paris
2001: South Africa won 20-15 in Durban
2001: France won 32-23 in Johannesburg
Prediction: France will be quietly confident thanks to the return of several experienced campaigners but the Boks have their tails up after last week's result. That means that this should be a close encounter and we expect France to edge it by three points!
The teams:
South Africa: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Raymond Rhule, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronjé, 8 Warren Whiteley (c), 7 Oupa Mohoje, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 20 Jean-Luc du Preez, 21 Francois Hougaard, 22 Frans Steyn, 23 Dillyn Leyds
France: 15 Scott Spedding, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Damian Penaud, 12 Gaël Fickou, 11 Virimi Vakatawa, 10 François Trinh-Duc, 9 Baptiste Serin, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Kévin Gourdon, 6 Yacouba Camara, 5 Romain Taofifeuna, 4 Yoann Maestri, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado (c), 1 Jefferson Poirot
Replacements: 16 Clément Maynadier, 17 Eddy Ben Arous, 18 Uini Atonio, 19 Julien le Devedec, 20 Bernard le Roux, 21 Antoine Dupont, 22 Jean-Marc Doussain, 23 Nans Ducuing
Date: Saturday, June 17
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 17:00 local (15:00 GMT)
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Glen Jackson (New Zealand), Angus Gardner (Australia)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)