South Africa’s first match of the autumn series was a similarly tense affair in Dublin, but the Springboks were ultimately defeated by Ireland. The hosts raced into a 16-6 lead following tries from Mack Hansen and Josh van der Flier after half-time, and held on to win 19-16, despite a late rally from the Springboks which saw Franco Mostert and Kurt-Lee Arendse crash over in the dying minutes.
France too were shell-shocked early on against the Wallabies, conceding the first try as Australia went from one tryline to another in the blink of an eye, and dotted down through Lalakai Foketi. Les Bleus responded though, with Thomas Ramos kicking points aplenty off the tee, and Julien Marchand crossing from close-range on the stroke of half-time. The lead went back and forth in the second half, before Penaud beat three defenders to dive over in the corner, scoring a try worthy of winning any match.
While Ramos’ razor-sharp boot saw him kick 20 of France’s 30 points, it was goal-kicking that in turn let the Springboks down, with Damian Willemse and Cheslin Kolbe both having difficulty off the tee and being unable to add to either of South Africa’s late tries. Had both Mostert and Arendse’s scores been converted, the Boks would have left Dublin with a 20-19 victory.
This test could well end up being one of the games of the year. Less than 12 months out from the World Cup, the Springboks will be hoping to hit their stride before returning to France in 2023, where they’ll look to retain the Rugby World Cup for the first time in their history. France, meanwhile, are hosting the tournament, and there would be no better preparation for Les Bleus than to topple the current champions on their own patch.
MORE: Neinaber comes to terms with Springboks’ latest loss.
When is France vs. South Africa?
France host South Africa at the Stade Velodrome, France on Saturday, November 12. The game kicks off at 8.00 p.m. GMT.
How to watch France vs. South Africa
Australia: All matches in the Autumn Nations Series, as well as this Test, will be streamed via Stan Sport in Australia.
New Zealand: Sky Sport is the place to catch the end-of-year international matches.
US: Subscription service FloSports has exclusive rights to the Autumn Nations Series with matches available to stream online.
France vs. South Africa lineups
France’s starting XV is unchanged following their win over Australia, hoping that continuity can help them open up a commanding lead over the Springboks, having needed to come from behind against the Wallabies. Romain Ntamack had a quiet game and was brought off before the hour mark, and the maverick fly-half will aim to take the game by the scruff of the neck, as he did routinely in last year’s autumn tests.
The real test in this match will come up front, with both sides having notoriously monstrous packs. Julien Marchand forced his way over with the help of his forwards last weekend, and France have named a 6-2 split of forwards and backs on their bench to keep up that high level of intensity as the game progresses.
The Springboks have made a raft of changes following that loss to Ireland, with several of the players who came off the bench for their late surge rewarded with starting berths. The introduction of Faf de Klerk and Willie le Roux sparked South Africa into life, and the two start this match at scrum-half and full-back respectively. The latter pushes Cheslin Kolbe to the right edge, and Kurt-Lee Arendse switches over to the left wing.
There are plenty of alterations in the forwards too, with Lood de Jager dropped from the squad and Franco Mostert, who came on to score late in Dublin, slotting into the second-row alongside Eben Etzebeth. Frans Malherbe is the only front-rower to keep his place, with Ox Nche and Bongi Mbonambi packing down alongside him.
MORE: Dupont relishing chance to face Springboks.
South Africa Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitsoff, Vincent Koch, Marvin Orie, Kwagga Smith, Cobus Reinach, Manie Libbok, Makazole Mapimpi.
#Springboks team tweaked for @FranceRugby Test, with the uncapped Manie Libbok named on the bench - more here: https://t.co/FgHkR6sB3b 🇿🇦#StrongerTogether #StrongerForever #FRAvRSA pic.twitter.com/F4LBbQMql3
France vs. South Africa odds
France are favourites in the eyes of several bookmakers, but none of them are backing Les Bleus by a convincing margin. Sky Bet and BetMGM’s odds are identical, with both offering a France win at 8/15, with the Springboks a notch outside that at 6/4.
There’s also a slender, but fair margin offered by Ladbrokes, with the $2.50 for the game going South Africa’s way shortened significantly to $1.50 in favour of France.
