Springboks Inflict More Pain On Les Bleus

The rugby world waited with bated breath for the most highly anticipated fixture of this Autumn Nations Series as four-time, back-to-back World Champions and current world number one, South Africa, took on Six Nations Champions France in what proved to be a highly-charged, pulsating and physical encounter.

A dramatic table had been laid as both teams entered the stadium. The tension, emotion, and electricity could be felt reverberating around the Stade de France, which was packed to the brim. 

Much talk surrounded the physicality and set-piece ability of both teams, and the Springboks set their stall early by dominating the first scrum of the game in the third minute. 

France drew first blood when the game saw its first true moment of magic in the third minute as Thomas Ramos dinked a wonderful cross ball behind the charging Springbok defence for Damian Penaud to pick up and cross the try line. The try meant Penaud became France’s highest try scorer of all time, pulling one ahead of the great Serge Blanco, to 39. 

Ramos slotted the conversion to put France ahead 7-0. 

The World Champions got on the scoreboard in the 10th minute with an impressive long-range Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu penalty. 

This was followed up by a dominant scrum by the Springboks from which they earned a penalty, to which Feinberg-Mngomezulu obliged – his second penalty of the night. The deficit had been reduced to one point, 7-6, in the thirteenth minute. 

Rassie Erasmus’s men missed an opportunity to slip into the lead for the first time when another Feinberg-Mngomezulu penalty went perilously wide to the cheers of the French crowd.

France kept infringing, conceding cynical penalties, as their lack of discipline was clear for all to see. They were let off the hook again, though, when Feinberg-Mngomezulu dropped his kicking rate to 50%, missing his second successive kick. Distance proved not to be an issue, as it was his accuracy that began letting him down. 

French supporters got off their seats again in the 27th minute as France took full advantage of their sustained territory, used the full width of the Stade de France pitch, to beat the Boks’ narrow defence and play in Penaud again – for his and France’s second try of the night. Ramos maintained his 100% record to give Les Bleus some breathing space on the scoreboard, 14-6.

Cobus Reinach produced a moment of sheer brilliance as he grabbed the bull by its horns when he found a gap next to the ruck, breached the French defensive line, put over a beautiful chip kick, which he chased himself, before applying pressure as the ball trickled over the try line – a sensational individual effort from the wily scrumhalf. 

Feinberg-Mngomezulu took his kicking feat to 3 out of 5 as the Springboks made it a one-point game, France ahead 14-13. Where have we seen this before?

The first half ended in frenetic fashion as South Africa won a kickable penalty, but the decision was reversed as Lood de Jager was sent off – a permanent red card – for a tackle on Ramos which showed his shoulder colliding with the head of the French fullback – reducing the men in green and gold to 14 men just as Angus Gardner brought the first half to an end. 

HALF-TIME – SOUTH AFRICA 13-14 FRANCE

Centurion Siya Kolisi made way for Ruan Nortje at half-time.

With very little between the two sides and France not adding to the scoreline despite having the man advantage, Rassie Erasmus decided to make use of some personnel of the bomb squad.

Wilco Louw, RG Snyman, and Andre Esterhuizen replaced Thomas Du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, and Damian de Allende. 

Springbok hearts were in their collective mouths as Feinberg-Mngomezulu seemed the favourite to gather a ball kicked through the centre of the defence, only to slip at the last minute with Nolann Le Garrec bearing down. Fortunately, the ball veered away from the French scrum-half, and despite a quality cross-kick into touch, Les Bleus’ advantage did not trouble the scorers. 

With France dominating possession and territory, Erasmus opted to remove Willemse and replace him with Libbok.  

Ramos extended the French lead in the 59th minute with a penalty, creating a four-point gap, 17-13.

Grant Williams took over scrumhalf duties from Cobus Reinach on the hour mark. 

The 63rd minute provided another defining moment as Louis Bielle-Biarrey was adjudged to have deliberately knocked down the ball, reducing France to 14 men. Referee Gardner added that it was not a penalty try as a French defender was covering winger Cheslin Kolbe in the corner. 

With Springbok tails up, stand-in captain Pieter-Steph du Toit opted to kick to the touchline – from here the World Champions formed a maul and mere moments later France proved defenceless in keeping out the powerful pack for Andre Esterhuizen to dot down. 

Feinberg-Mngomezulu contrived to miss the follow-up conversion, but for the first time in the game, South Africa had the lead. Still a one-point game, but this time, with South Africa leading 18-17.

With France struggling to keep the Rugby championship winners at bay, continuously infringing, Grant Williams re-enacted the brilliance of Cobus Reinach by selling a dummy to glide through the last line of defence and silence the crowd in Paris. Feinberg-Mngomezulu added the two points for the conversion to increase the Springbok lead to eight, 25-17.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu put the cherry on the cake with a late try crossing the whitewash and adding the two points.  

A monumental victory for the World champions, 32-17, as they inflict further misery on a French team and nation who were itching for the opportunity to rectify the mishap of two years ago. Instead, Les Bleus are left to drown in more of their sorrow.