14-man Boks heap more hurt on Les Bleus
The Springboks delivered a gutsy performance to beat France in Paris and make Siya Kolisi’s 100th Test one to remember. SIMON BORCHARDT reports.
Les Bleus looked on course to avenge their 2023 World Cup quarter-final defeat to the Boks when winger Damien Penaud scored twice to give them a 14-6 lead.
The world champions hit back with a try, but lock Lood de Jager’s straight red card before half time left them with a mountain to climb.
Climb it they did, though, to claim a memorable 32-17 victory.
France made a perfect start to the match when Penaud chased down Tomas Ramos’ kick down the short side to become Les Bleus’ all-time leading try-scorer. Ramos added the extras.
World class player to world class player 🤝
Damien Penaud becomes France’s all-time leading try scorer in STYLE 😎 pic.twitter.com/aJcMpCJzss
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 8, 2025
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicked two long-range penalty goals – the second after a dominant Bok scrum – to reduce the gap to one, but the flyhalf was off target with his next two attempts.
Penaud then scored his 40th Test try after the French won a lineout maul and – with the referee playing advantage – went wide.
On the half-hour mark, Gerhard Steenekamp replaced loosehead prop Boan Venter in what appeared to be a tactical substitution.
Shortly after, scrumhalf Cobus Reinach broke away from a ruck and regathered his chip kick over Penaud to score, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s conversion making it 14-13.
😲😲
Cobus Reinach really did just do it all himself 🔥
Comeback coming for the Springboks? pic.twitter.com/odgY3BmaXs
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 8, 2025
The Boks suffered a huge blow just before half time when De Jager was given a permanent red card for a shoulder to the head of Ramos. It also ended Kolisi’s match as the skipper was substituted at the break.
POLL: Did Lood deserve straight red card?
Ramos extended France’s lead to four at the end of the third quarter, but the game changed when winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on.
The Boks kicked to the corner and hybrid replacement Andre Esterhuizen went over from the lineout maul.
The Springboks have the lead in Paris 👀
André Esterhuizen the man to dot down for South Africa 💥 pic.twitter.com/ZxCWh4oSBz
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 8, 2025
Another lineout maul led to a try for replacement scrumhalf Grant Williams and when Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored with four minutes remaining, the comeback was complete.
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images