France struck first in the match with a moment of classic flair after just seven minutes. From pressure inside the South African 22, scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec swept play wide before fullback Thomas Ramos injected pace across the line and dinked a kick into space. Damian Penaud, starting on the right wing, gathered on the bounce and finished untouched. Ramos converted for a 7-0 lead, sending the Paris crowd into raptures.
The home side’s intensity at the breakdown was notable early on, twice forcing turnovers against the Springboks’ usually dominant pack. But South Africa responded through the boot of fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who nailed a monster penalty from halfway to get his team on the board: 7-3.
France’s discipline wavered midway through the half, conceding penalties that allowed Feinberg-Mngomezulu to reduce the gap to one point. The Springboks’ scrum also flexed its muscle, earning a penalty after destroying the French front row on 12 minutes. However, two missed kicks from the young fly-half kept France in front.
The hosts extended their lead on 25 minutes with a second try for Penaud. After opting for touch from a penalty, France launched a sweeping attack from left to right, and the Bordeaux winger finished brilliantly in the corner. Ramos converted from the touchline via the upright for 14-6.
South Africa hit back with a stunning solo effort from scrum-half Cobus Reinach. Spotting space near halfway under penalty advantage, he accelerated through a gap, chipped over the last defender, and regathered to score under pressure. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted to make it 14-13 and swing momentum back towards the visitors.
Just as the Springboks looked poised to take the lead from a penalty, the TMO intervened to review lock Lood de Jager’s tackle on Ramos. After a lengthy discussion, referee Angus Gardner deemed it met the red-card threshold. South Africa would play the remainder with 14 men – a huge moment in such a tightly-fought contest.
The hosts struck first after the restart, with Ramos slotting a penalty on 58 minutes to stretch France’s advantage to 17-13. At that stage, with the extra man and home crowd behind them, Les Bleus looked poised to push on. But South Africa had other ideas. They were simply sensational and clinical in executing those ideas too.
The momentum shifted dramatically from the hour mark. A high tackle penalty allowed Manie Libbok, on at fly-half, to kick deep into French territory. From the resulting maul, the Springboks powered over through Andre Esterhuizen, the centre operating as a makeshift back-row. Although Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu missed the conversion, South Africa had the lead for the first time at 18-17.
France’s hopes suffered another blow when wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey - the reigning Guinness Men's Six Nations Player of the Championship - was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on near his own line. The Springboks capitalised ruthlessly. Replacement scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse Williams darted through from close range after a dummy, scoring under the posts to make it 25-17 with eight minutes remaining.
With France back to 15, South Africa refused to settle. Their scrum dominance earned another penalty deep in French territory, and from sustained pressure, Feinberg-Mngomezulu swept wide to finish in the corner. The conversion was good, and the Springboks closed out a remarkable 32-17 triumph, marking the 100th Test match of iconic skipper Siya Kolisi in fitting fashion.
⭐️ Quilter Player of the Match ⭐️
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (RSA)
"14-13 half-time was tough. We were getting good reward from our contestable kicking game, but we weren't getting points on the board. So I'm just so proud that everyone stuck in and made it special for big Siya [Kolisi].
"I'm part of such an incredible team, man. Playing for my country on a Saturday, that's my dream. It's all about dreams. These small things, [individual accolades], they don't really mean much. I'm just happy we won with 15 points here today and could make Siya's day. I got injured on the 28th of December against the Sharks and we chatted after the game and he just told me to hold tight, that we're going to make memories together.
"Since then, we've won a Rugby Championship, a Freedom Cup. It's been incredible. He's done so much for me and for the whole country. He's a real leader and someone who leads by example."
🧮 Standout stats
Carries: Jasper Wiese (RSA) - 18
Metres Carried: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (RSA) - 114
Defenders Beaten: Thomas Ramos (FRA) - 6
Successful Tackles: Anthony Jelonch (FRA) - 10
Line Breaks: Damian Penaud (FRA) - 3