Springboks Indiscipline Costs 21-19 France Defeat
Indiscipline and inaccuracy cost the Springboks a 21-19 defeat against France in Paris on Friday the 13th, SA Rugby magazine reported.
The Springboks wilted under immense French pressure during the fixture. They coughed up six turnovers in the first half alone.
Referee Andrea Piardi punished the side with a string of penalties. Lood de Jager received a yellow card in the 13th minute for a high tackle on Maxime Lucu.
“A tough break when such a big man dips to tackle a far smaller one,” SA Rugby magazine noted of the incident. France scored 14 points while de Jager served his time off the field.
The Springboks lost their usual composure as the match wore on. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu overcooked a penalty kick to the corner during the first half.
The visitors trailed 21-7 by half-time. Their only clear advantage came from the scrum, which they dominated while the French avoided conceding penalties there.
Early in the second half, No 8 Jasper Wiese cleaned out Kalvin Gourgues with a heavy challenge. His yellow card was later upgraded to a red card.
The Springboks showed grit in the final quarter. They utilized their maul to score a try through Malcolm Marx.
Antoine Dupont engineered the French attack while playing across multiple positions. His cross-kick set up a try for Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
France withstood several attacks deep in their own half despite dealing with a squad ravaged by injuries. The defeat also meant the Springboks relinquished the No 1 world ranking ahead of their upcoming match in Dublin.