Les Bleus go through November unbeaten
France underlined their growing stature with an elegant 26-20 victory over South Africa at Stade de France in Paris on Saturday. It was performance full of verve and cunning that left the touring Springboks looking decidedly flat-footed.
South Africa were, until late in the game, better in the scrums. And they were better in the line-outs. But the French tackled better, protected the ball better at the tackle and contested the tackle more than the Springboks did.
There was also a big difference at halfback where the French had strong, lively, varied, accurate Jean-Baptiste Elissalde at scrum-half and mercurial Frédéric Michalak at fly-half. This was a far more effective pairing than the Springbok rookies of Meyer Bosman and Michael Claassen. Mind you, that the French were much better in the post-tackle contest made life easier for their halves and harder for the South African halves.
France scored three tries to two -- one a brilliant counterattack, one an intercept and one a moment of clever opportunism off a messed line-out and a brilliant cut after a line-out.
It took France three minutes to score and ten minutes later they were leading 15-0. They started running on the damp field in front of a full-house of spectators.
Their first try looked so simple.
Bok fullback Percy Montgomery did not find touch, but the ball went a long way downfield. Aurélien Rougerie caught the ball and started running. The first tackler stopped him and then the game burst asunder for Yannick Nyanga, who had already had a wonderful charge at the start of the match, came charging on his outside and down the touch-line. He played inside to sturdy Dimitri Szarzewski. Off the hooker went, short legs pumping as Bakkies Botha tried to haul him in. Jean-Baptiste Elissalde converted to make it 7-0.
Montgomery missed a regulation penalty soon afterwards but when the Springbok backs moved the ball right somewhere near the half-way line, France scored. Jaque Fourie was going right but turned the ball inside in an attempt to pass to Schalk Burger. Frédéric Michalak darted in, grabbed the ball and raced away as Jean de Villiers gained on him, but the French fly-half did enough to squeeze over in the corner.
When Bok skipper John Smit was penalised for charging, ball under one arm, with his left elbow in front and right into the throat of the French captain Jérôme Thion, the touch judge pointed it out and Elissalde made it 15-0.
Later in the half, Thion was forced to leave the field and was replaced by Grégory Lamboley.
Montgomery got the Springboks on the board with a penalty goal just before half-time, making the score at the break 15-3.
When Bosman and Claassen created a mess early in the second half, Elissalde made it 18-3, and it did not look that there was any way back for the Springboks or any way that they would score a try. But they did.
They did it when Claassen got a messed ball from a line-out and decided to burst forward and suddenly Bakkies Botha was charging for the line. The touch judge seemed to be putting his flag up but then pulled it down and signalled to the referee that Botha had not been out. Montgomery converted from far out. 18-10.
It did not take the French long to put things right. From a scrum well in from touch they worked an 8-9 going left. Elissalde slid a grubber behind Montgomery and Habana and Rougerie, big and powerful ran onto the ball, cutting inside two tacklers to score. 23-10.
Bosman kicked a long penalty for South Africa and Michalak one for France, 26-13.
When Cédric Heymans knocked on a harmless up-and-under near his line, the Springboks had a chance but the French defence was aggressive, the Springboks careless with the ball. Smit dropped it and suddenly the French were footing free. The next stoppage, a line-out, was well within the Springbok 22.
But the Springboks got back to within winning distance when Fourie took a sweet pass from Bosman as De Villiers ran to distract. The big centre cut clean through and scored at the posts without a hand laid on him. 26-20 with five minutes left. But it was the French who controlled the remained of the match.
Man of the match: It's hard to find a Springbok who played consistently well unless it was, again, Bakkies Botha. But the French had candidates in Aurélien Rougerie who set up a try and scored a try, lively Thomas Castaignède, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde and our man-of-the-match Yannick Nyanga who carried the ball so well, contested the tackle so effectively and tackled in deadly fashion.
Moment of the match: An intercept is always exciting and it was a long run for Frédéric Michalak but for sheer sweetness we have chosen as our moment-of-the-match the cut and try by Jaque Fourie -- perhaps the one moment of South African creativity.
Villain of the Match: South African skipper John Smit for his elbow into Jérôme Thion. At best it was reckless.
The scorers:
For France:
Tries: Szarzewski, Rougerie
Cons: Michalak
Pens: Elissalde 2, Michalak
For South Africa:
Tries: Botha, Fourie
Cons: Montgomery 2
Pens: Montgomery, Bosman
The teams:
France: 15 Thomas Castaignède, 14 Aurélien Rougerie, 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Yannick Jauzion, 11 Cédric Heymans, 10 Frédéric Michalak, 9 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, 8 Rémy Martin, 7 Julien Bonnaire, 6 Yannick Nyanga, 5 Jèrôme Thion (captain), 4 Lionel Nallet, 3 Pieter de Villiers, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski, 1 Olivier Milloud.
Replacements: 16 Sébastien Bruno, 17 Sylvain Marconnet, 18 Gregory Lamboley, 19 Thomas Lièvremont, 20 Pierre Mignoni, 21 Yann Delaigue, 22 Pepito Elhorga.
South Africa: 15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Breyton Paulse, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Meyer Bosman, 9 Michael Claassens, 8 Jacques Cronjé, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Os du Randt.
Replacements: 16 Gary Botha, 17 Eddie Andrews, 18 Albert van den Berg, 19 Danie Rossouw, 20 Bolla Conradie, 21 De Wet Barry, 22 Conrad Jantjes.
Referee: Scott Young (Australia)
Touch judges: Alain Rolland, Alan Lewis (both Ireland)
Television match official: Roy Maybank (England)
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