France suffered a 40-minute meltdown, “disintegrating” under pressure to allow the 14-man South Africa to steal a 32-17 victory. Les Bleus held a man advantage for the entire second half but “cracked,” committing a “succession of reckless infringements” and conceding four tries to the “ruthless” world champions. The loss marks France’s fourth straight defeat.
The match began as a French script, with Damian Penaud scoring twice to break the national try-scoring record. The Stade de France was euphoric, and with Springbok Lood de Jager sent off for a dangerous tackle, revenge for the World Cup seemed imminent.
However, the Springboks, as coach Rassie Erasmus said, are “getting wiser.” They remained “calm” and “absorbed early pressure.” They then imposed their “sheer physicality,” and the French facade crumbled. A yellow card for Louis Bielle-Biarrey for a deliberate knock-on was the critical error.
South Africa pounced. André Esterhuizen (maul) and Grant Williams (sniping run) scored in quick succession, turning the game on its head. The Boks’ “iron discipline” was the polar opposite of the French chaos.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who was perfect with the boot, added a late try to complete the “remarkable comeback.” Fabien Galthié lamented missed chances “around the 60th minute,” but the story was his team’s inability to handle the “bruising” pressure from the world champions.
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