South Africa redefined resilience with a breathtaking second-half performance, flipping the script on France to win 32-17 despite a 40-minute man disadvantage. The Springboks, “overwhelmed” in the first half and trailing 14-6 after Lood de Jager’s red card, returned with “iron discipline” and “sheer physicality” to “crush” a “disintegrating” French side.
The match began as a French fairytale. Damian Penaud scored twice, breaking Serge Blanco’s national record. The Stade de France was euphoric, and with De Jager off, revenge for the World Cup seemed a formality.
But the 14-man Boks were “calmer” and “wiser.” They weathered the storm and then watched as France “cracked under pressure.” A “succession of reckless infringements” from the hosts, culminating in a yellow card for Louis Bielle-Biarrey, leveled the playing field.
The Boks were “ruthless.” André Esterhuizen powered over from a maul, and Grant Williams sliced through a “splintered” defence. The Boks’ four tries (including an earlier one from Reinach) and the perfect boot of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu sealed the “remarkable comeback.”
Fabien Galthié lamented “three clear chances” missed “around the 60th minute,” but the day belonged to South Africa’s champion mentality, which “silenced” the home crowd.
Resilience Redefined: 14-Man Boks Flip Script on France
