France's rugby team suffered a heavy defeat to South Africa (17-32) on Saturday at Stade de France, despite a strong start and a numerical advantage in the second half. Damian Penaud made history by scoring his 40th try for France, surpassing Serge Blanco's record. The Springboks, down to 14 players after a red card, turned the game around with a dominant second half.
The match between France's XV and South Africa, played on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at Stade de France, ended in a convincing win for the Springboks (17-32). Two years after their World Cup quarter-final loss 28-27 on the same pitch, the Bleus hoped for revenge but once again yielded to the double world champions.
From the 4th minute, Thomas Ramos launched Damian Penaud for his 39th try in blue, equaling Serge Blanco's record. At the 26th, after a lineout chosen by captain Gaël Fickou, Penaud scored the 40th, making it 14-6. But the French, undisciplined with four penalties conceded, allowed Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to narrow the gap (14-13 at 33rd, try by Cobus Reinach).
Just before halftime (40th), referee Angus Gardner sent off Lood de Jager for a dangerous tackle on Ramos, giving France a numerical advantage as they led 14-13. In the second half, despite a turnover by Oscar Jégou and a penalty from Ramos (17-13, 59th), France's scrum struggled, with pillars like Erdocio and Montagne in difficulty.
At the 63rd, Louis Bielle-Biarrey received a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on, allowing Andre Esterhuizen to score South Africa's third try (17-18). The Springboks' waves then overwhelmed the Bleus: try by Grant Williams (70th, 17-25) and by Feinberg-Mngomezulu (76th, 17-32), who feinted Romain Ntamack and Maxime Lucu.
Post-match, Thomas Ramos lamented: 'We gave them points too easily, 13 free points. They are double world champions for a reason. We need to learn from these small mistakes.' This defeat marks the fifth loss for France against South Africa at Stade de France since 2005.
