There is simply no doubt that the contest between the Springboks and France has all the ingredients to be one of the genuine highlights of the 2025 Test season.
Besides the momentous fact that Siya Kolisi will become the ninth Springbok centurion, while Rassie Erasmus also guides the side in his 50th Test as head coach, there is also the simmering rivalry between the two teams in a ‘rematch’ of the epic 2023 World Cup quarter-final at the same venue.
Eleven players in the Springbok team participated in the narrow RWC quarter-final victory over Les Bleus at the Stade de France two years ago, namely Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, RG Snyman, Cobus Reinach, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Damian Willemse, and Manie Libbok.
Meanwhile, France have gone for a six-two split between forwards and backs on the bench for Saturday’s clash with the Springboks in Paris, which kicks off at 22:10 (SA time).
HERE IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW AS THE SPRINGBOKS AND FRANCE PREPARE FOR BATTLE
Teams:
France: 15 Tomas Ramos, 14 Damien Penaud, 13 Pierre-Louis Barassi, 12 Gaël Fickou, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Nolann le Garrec, 8 Mickaël Guillard, 7 Paul Boudehent, 6 Anthony Jelonch, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Thibaud Flament, 3 Régis Montagne, 2 Julien Marchand, 1 Baptiste Erdocio.
Replacements: 16 Guillaume Cramont, 17 Jean-Baptiste Gros, 18 Dorian Aldegheri 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Hugo Auradou, 21 Oscar Jegou, 22 Maxime Lucu, 23 Nicolas Depoortère
South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Boan Venter.
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Ruan Nortje, 21 Andre Esterhuizen, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok.
Date: Saturday, November 8
Venue: Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Kick-off: (22:10 SAST)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) & Christophe Ridley (England)
TMO: Ian Tempest (England)
Stats and facts:
Springbok record against France:
Played 46; Won 28; Lost 12; Drawn 6. Points for: 994, Points against: 720. Tries scored 111, Tries conceded 64. Highest score 52-10; Biggest win 42 points. Win % 61%.
Miscellaneous:
- Siya Kolisi, who made his Test debut against Scotland in Nelspruit in 2013, will play his 100th Test match, making him only the ninth Springbok centurion in the history of the game. The last player to reach this significant feat was Willie le Roux against Italy in July.
- Erasmus will guide the team in his 50th Test as the Springbok head coach, with the former Springbok flanker’s win record currently standing at 73.4%.
- The last time the Springboks met France was in the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final, where they registered a 29-28 victory, and went on to lift the trophy for the second time in a row.
- The entire Springbok backline, apart from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, featured in the RWC quarter-final against France – either in the starting lineup or playing off the replacements bench.
- Eleven players in the matchday squad played in the RWC match against France, while 12 players were involved in the match-up between the teams in 2022.
- The Springboks have won the last four matches between the teams in Paris, dating back to 2013, with their highest winning margin in those encounters being by nine points. Les Bleus last won a match against the Boks in the French capital in 2005.
- The total Test caps in the Springbok starting line-up are 924. There are 362 caps in the backline, with 562 caps among the forwards. On the bench, there are a further 177 caps.
- The average caps per player in the backline is 52, the forwards 70, while the players on the bench average 22.
