South Africa’s Dominance Shines Through in Paris Victory
South Africa showcased their status as the world’s leading rugby team by defeating France 32-17 in a thrilling match held in Paris on Saturday. Despite facing a significant challenge when lock Lood de Jager received a red card in the first half, the Springboks managed to secure a hard-fought victory. The win was fueled by second-half tries from replacements Andre Esterhuizen and Grant Williams, along with a crucial contribution from starting fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Home winger Damian Penaud played a pivotal role in the early stages of the game, scoring twice within the first 30 minutes. This achievement allowed him to surpass the legendary Serge Blanco as France’s top try scorer. The match served as a re-match of the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final, which South Africa won on their way to claiming their fourth Webb Ellis trophy.
South Africa’s two-time World Cup-winning captain, Siya Kolisi, celebrated his 100th Test appearance with the Boks’ victory. Kolisi, who grew up in a township and lost his mother as a teenager, reflected on the significance of the moment. “It’s special, it means a lot to me,” he said. “I can’t take credit for everything that I’ve achieved; there have been so many people that have helped me,” the 34-year-old added.
The teams are unlikely to face tougher challenges in the upcoming Autumn Nations Series. France will host Fiji, while South Africa will travel to Italy.
France head coach Fabien Galthie made a strategic decision to start Nolann Le Garrec at scrum-half, as superstar half-back Antoine Dupont is sidelined until December due to a serious knee injury. Galthie kept only nine players from the previous matchday squad and praised South Africa’s 2025 team, calling them “maybe the best team ever.”
Rassie Erasmus, who led the Boks to their two most recent World Cup victories, included nine players in his starting 15 from the side that played in the previous quarter-final. Flanker Kolisi entered the Stade de France pitch alone for his 100th Test, greeted by a cacophony of noise and a dramatic light show, setting the tone for an intense encounter.
To the delight of the raucous home crowd, Les Bleus scored first as winger Penaud overtook Blanco with 39 touchdowns. Ramos converted the kick after providing an assist with a cross-kick under pressure, giving the hosts an early 7-0 lead. Feinberg-Mngomezulu responded by kicking two penalties before missing another two, as France struggled with discipline.
Penaud scored again after 39 minutes, thanks to another assist from Ramos, before Bok scrum-half Cobus Reinach scored a superb solo effort. However, De Jager’s moment of madness came 20 seconds before the break, as he was sent off for a shoulder charge on the falling Ramos.
Les Bleus maintained control in the second half, with lively winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey finding space out wide. To address the numerical disadvantage, Erasmus replaced lock Eben Etzebeth with Andre Esterhuizen, who played an innovative hybrid role, alternating between the back-row and centre.
Despite dominating possession, the hosts failed to score much on the scoreboard. With 20 minutes remaining, Ramos kicked a penalty to make it 17-13. The Springboks then took control, extending their lead as Esterhuizen scored a try from a lineout immediately after Bielle-Biarrey was yellow-carded for an intentional knock-on.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu hit the post with his difficult conversion, raising tension as the sides were separated by just one point. With a quarter of an hour left, the Boks began to dominate, extending their lead to 25-17 as replacement scrum-half Grant Williams scored. Feinberg-Mngomezulu added the extras, and later scored a try and conversion to bring his total to 17 points.