Nations Championship
France (21) 21
Tries: Grandidier-Nkanang, Attissogbe, Bielle-Biarrey Cons: Lucu (3)
South Africa (7) 19
Tries: Wessels, Reinach, Marx Cons: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2)
France held on to finish their five-match shedding run towards South Africa at Stade de France with an enthralling 21-19 victory in Paris.
The victory dents the world champions’ hopes of reaching the Nations Championship closing and places Les Bleus in a robust place to high the northern hemisphere standings.
The hosts, impressed by their captain Antoine Dupont, confirmed their class and ability to attain three tries in a frantic first half.
France’s again three of Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, Theo Attissogbe and Louis Bielle-Biarrey all crossed in an exhilarating opening 40 minutes, with Jan-Hendrik Wessels scoring off the again of a maul for the guests.
The Springboks thought they’d a second attempt on the stroke of half-time however Kurt-Lee Arendse’s attempt was chalked off after he strayed marginally offside.
Quantity eight Jasper Wiese was proven a 20-minute pink card early within the second half – the third of 5 playing cards proven in an incident-packed recreation – for a harmful shoulder cost, but it surely had the other impact to derailing the world champions.
With South Africa’s set-piece energy proving an excessive amount of, substitute scrum-half Cobus Reinach and hooker Malcolm Marx scored to arrange an exhilarating finale.
Nevertheless, Manie Libbok missed the very important conversion to Marx’s attempt that might have levelled the sport.
With South Africa pushing for a profitable rating, Bielle-Biarrey produced an enormous defensive sort out to pressure the ball unfastened, earlier than Dupont, who was named participant of the match, gathered possession to assist seal the victory.
The end result will come as a blow to each England and Eire, who’re in direct competitors with France for a spot within the Nations Championship closing on the finish of the month.
Les Bleus, who’re six factors clear on the high of the northern hemisphere standings, now face Argentina subsequent Saturday, placing them in a robust place to succeed in the inaugural closing at Allianz Stadium on Sunday, 29 November.
