France’s quest for redemption turned into a disciplinary nightmare as they imploded against a 14-man South Africa, slumping to a 32-17 defeat. Les Bleus had a golden opportunity to snap their losing streak and avenge their World Cup exit, especially after Springbok lock Lood de Jager was sent off before half-time. Instead, a second-half collapse marked by “reckless infringements” and a costly yellow card handed the victory to the clinical and composed world champions.
The afternoon began with such promise for the Parisian crowd. Damian Penaud was magnificent, scoring two early tries to break Serge Blanco’s long-standing national record. France looked sharp, and with a one-man advantage for the entire second half, they seemed to be in complete control. However, the pressure of playing the world champions, even a depleted squad, proved too much for Fabien Galthié’s side.
The Springboks, showing their renowned resilience, did not panic. They stuck to their strengths, using their physicality to dominate the contact area and force France into errors. As the French frustration grew, their discipline disintegrated. The game’s momentum swung decisively when Louis Bielle-Biarrey was sent to the sin-bin, erasing the numerical advantage France had enjoyed and failed to capitalize on.
South Africa, sensing blood, was ruthless. They turned the screws, and the tries soon followed. André Esterhuizen powered over from a maul, and Grant Williams sliced through a disorganized defensive line. Each Springbok score was a hammer blow to French morale, and the home side simply had no response to the champions’ clinical execution.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu added a try to his impressive kicking display, sealing a remarkable comeback for the 14-man Boks. French coach Fabien Galthié pointed to three missed chances around the 60-minute mark, but the story of the game was his team’s inability to maintain composure. The loss marks South Africa’s ninth win in their last ten meetings with France.