The Springboks will face France in Paris on Saturday, marking captain Siya Kolisi's 100th Test cap and coach Rassie Erasmus's 50th match in charge. This encounter revives memories of the intense 2023 World Cup quarterfinal, where South Africa edged a 29-28 victory amid controversy. Both teams approach the game with heightened emotions and strategic preparations.
The upcoming Test at the Stade de France carries significant milestones for the Springboks. Head coach Rassie Erasmus will lead the team for the 50th time, while skipper Siya Kolisi earns his 100th cap. This match is part of a five-game tour, with tougher fixtures against France and Ireland spaced two weeks apart.
Memories of the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal linger strongly. South Africa defeated France 29-28 in a frantic encounter at the same venue. Cheslin Kolbe charged down Thomas Ramos’s conversion attempt, denying France two points. Late in the game, Kwagga Smith secured a breakdown penalty, and stand-in captain Bongi Mbonambi instructed Handré Pollard to kick the match-winner “for South Africa.”
The aftermath turned sour, with France captain Antoine Dupont criticizing referee Ben O’Keefe, sparking nationwide outrage. Springboks players faced boos in subsequent games and death threats on social media. Cobus Reinach, based in Montpellier, received messages like: “I hope that when you return to Montpellier you get murdered by French people on the ground,” and “Gang of thieves. Easy to win a title by cheating.” These events are documented in articles, autobiographies, and the Emmy-nominated documentary Chasing the Sun.
Erasmus has emphasized managing physical and emotional intensity, doubling down on player rotation over the past two seasons to handle the toll of consecutive big Tests. France coach Fabien Galthié has accused South African spies, possibly from the SA U19 squad in Europe, of gathering intelligence, leading to restricted training access. Retired South Africa-born French lock Paul Willemse described the 2023 loss as “a stab in the heart” and the upcoming game as an opportunity for “revenge,” after French players watched Chasing the Sun.
Erasmus has employed mind games, delaying the team announcement from Monday to Thursday, possibly due to fitness concerns like Damian Willemse’s hamstring issue that sidelined him against Japan last week. France’s squad omits stars such as Antoine Dupont, Matthieu Jalibert, and Thomas Ramos, making them an unknown quantity after a 3-0 series loss to New Zealand in July.
The Springboks enter with strong form, winning 19 of 23 Tests over two seasons, including back-to-back Rugby Championship titles and a 61-0 thrashing of Japan at Wembley. Twenty-three current squad members played in the 2023 Paris win, and most featured in the 2022 Marseille loss (30-26), marred by Pieter-Steph du Toit’s red card. A full house of 80,000, mostly French fans, is expected, promising a cauldron-like atmosphere where small margins could decide the outcome.