The Springboks produced one of their greatest performances to mark Siya Kolisi’s 100th Test cap with a stunning comeback victory, overcoming a first-half red card to beat France 32-17 at the Stade de France on Saturday.

Key moments:

4′ – TRY FRANCE: Damian Penaud gathers Thomas Ramos’ chip to score, Thomas Ramos converts (7-0)
10′ – PENALTY SOUTH AFRICA: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicks penalty from halfway (7-3)
13′ – PENALTY SOUTH AFRICA: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicks penalty (7-6)
27′ – TRY FRANCE: Damian Penaud scores his second from slick backline move, Thomas Ramos converts (14-6)
33′ – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Cobus Reinach makes 40m break, chips ahead and scores, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converts (14-13)
40′ – RED CARD SOUTH AFRICA: Lood de Jager sent off for dangerous tackle on Thomas Ramos
Half-time: France 14-13 South Africa
59′ – PENALTY FRANCE: Thomas Ramos kicks penalty (17-13)
63′ – YELLOW CARD FRANCE: Louis Bielle-Biarrey sent to sin bin for deliberate knock-down
65′ – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Andre Esterhuizen scores from driving maul, conversion missed (17-18)
71′ – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Grant Williams sells dummy and scores under posts, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converts (17-25)
77′ – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu dummies and scores in corner, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converts (17-32)
Full-time: France 17-32 South Africa

Playing the entire second half with 14 men after lock Lood de Jager was dismissed just before the interval, South Africa scored three unanswered tries in the final 20 minutes to silence a packed Paris crowd and extend their recent dominance over Les Bleus to nine wins from their last 10 meetings.

This was the first clash between the sides since their dramatic 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final at the same venue, and remarkably, it delivered similarly heartbreaking scenes for the hosts as the world champions produced another demonstration of their remarkable resilience.

France looked to have the perfect script in place when they flew out of the blocks, Damian Penaud crossing after just four minutes to become France’s all-time leading try scorer with his 39th Test touchdown. Thomas Ramos created the score with a perfectly weighted chip over the Springbok defence that sat up beautifully for Penaud to collect and stroll over untouched. The winger’s historic moment, surpassing the legendary Serge Blanco, sent the Stade de France into raptures as Ramos added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

South Africa responded through the reliable boot of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, whose long-range penalties from halfway and then 42 meters out reduced the gap to 7-6. However, the young flyhalf missed his next two attempts which would have given the Springboks the lead.

Penaud struck again in the 27th minute, showcasing his clinical finishing ability. After an attacking French lineout five meters out, the hosts worked the ball from left to right with Ntamack delivering a skip pass to Ramos, who timed his feed to Penaud perfectly. The Bordeaux winger dived over in the corner for his milestone 40th Test try despite the covering Springbok defence. Ramos nailed a challenging conversion from the touchline, the ball kissing the left upright on its way over to make it 14-6.

The world champions hit back with a moment of individual brilliance from Cobus Reinach in the 33rd minute. The 35-year-old scrum-half spotted space around a ruck near halfway and scythed through the gap, catching the French defence napping. With Ramos as the last defender, Reinach executed a perfectly weighted chip kick that bounced favorably for him to gather and slide over the line despite pressure from the covering defence. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s touchline conversion narrowed France’s lead to just 14-13.

Disaster struck for the Springboks moments before half-time when De Jager was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Ramos. The lock protested, but referee Angus Gardner determined that De Jager’s shoulder had made direct contact with Ramos’ head with no attempt to wrap his arms, despite the French fullback slipping to ground during the contact.

The red card forced Rassie Erasmus into a bold half-time tactical shuffle. In an extraordinary display of selflessness, captain Kolisi – celebrating his milestone 100th appearance – was sacrificed to allow Andre Esterhuizen to enter the fray and operate in a hybrid role, alternating between center and back-row depending on the phase of play.

“It was a tough call for the captain,” Erasmus explained post-match. “When I told him, he just took it on the chin and understood. This is a huge game, and the entire team knows how determined France will be to make up for the World Cup result, so we’ll celebrate Siya’s achievement after the match.”

France, despite their numerical advantage, struggled to capitalize in the second half. A penalty from Ramos on 59 minutes extended their lead to 17-13, but they couldn’t find the knockout blow despite spending long periods in South African territory. Instead, momentum swung dramatically when winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey was shown a yellow card for deliberately knocking down a pass with South Africa threatening an overlap in the 63rd minute.

With the teams temporarily at 14 players apiece, the Springboks pounced. From the resulting lineout, they opted to kick for the corner rather than take the three points. Marx found Nortje at the lineout, and the Springboks set up a driving maul. They gained momentum instantly and South Africa stormed over the try line, with Esterhuizen – the “hybrid player” experiment paying dividends – forcing the ball down cleanly to give South Africa their first lead at 18-17.

The world champions never looked back. Another lineout maul in the 71st minute created the platform for replacement scrum-half Grant Williams to spot a gap, sell an outrageous dummy that fooled multiple French defenders, and sprint through untouched to score under the posts. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s conversion stretched the lead to 25-17.

With France rattled and conceding a flurry of penalties, the Springboks delivered the coup de grace in the 77th minute. After sustained pressure from the forwards who hammered away phase after phase in the red zone, Manie Libbok released Feinberg-Mngomezulu on the outside. The young playmaker, now operating at fullback after Libbok had replaced Damian Willemse, dummied perfectly before getting outside his defender and curving his run toward the posts to score his team’s fourth try. The flyhalf converted his own try to complete the scoring at 32-17 and cap a personal haul of 17 points.

“That was what we thought it was going to be against France,” said man-of-the-match Feinberg-Mngomezulu. “We were doing well in contestable kicks but were not getting points on the board, but we stuck in there and it was great to win for Siya on his 100th cap.”

The 23-year-old flyhalf, who has emerged as South Africa’s first-choice No.10 during the Rugby Championship, added: “I got injured on December 28th against the Sharks, and we chatted after the game and Siya 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, and a very tough away game here. He’s done so much for me and the whole country. He’s a real leader and someone who leads by example.”

For France, it was another bitter defeat to South Africa at their national stadium, leaving head coach Fabien Galthié to rue missed opportunities. “Around the 60th minute we had three clear chances where we should have scored, then we conceded a series of penalties, and we were forced to defend our line until the yellow card and the try,” he lamented.

“We played against one of the best South African teams,” Galthié added. “They were capable of preventing us from scoring in the early second half during our strong moments. Even in great difficulty, they managed to keep us from scoring. And then they were able to take control of the game in a very powerful and skillful way.”

Penaud’s record-breaking double provided some consolation for the home side, with the Bordeaux winger surpassing Serge Blanco’s long-standing French record of 38 tries. But the night ultimately belonged to South Africa, who reaffirmed their status as the world’s leading team with a victory that underlined the immense character within their squad.

The Springboks now head to Italy for the third match of their five-game tour, before facing Ireland and Wales. France must regroup quickly as they prepare to host Fiji in Bordeaux next weekend.

Ireland overcame a stuttering first-half performance and persistent lineout problems to defeat Japan 41-10 at the Aviva Stadium, with man of the match Tommy O’Brien capping an impressive display with a late try as Andy Farrell’s side scored four unanswered tries in the final quarter.

Key moments:

6′ – PENALTY IRELAND: Jack Crowley converts after Japan tighthead Shuhei Takeuchi penalized for collapsing scrum (3-0)
17′ – YELLOW CARD JAPAN: Charlie Lawrence sent to sin bin for dangerous lifting tackle on Tom Farrell
20′ – TRY IRELAND: Jack Crowley finishes flowing move after quick hands from Tadhg Beirne and gap-finding run from Thomas Clarkson, Jack Crowley converts (10-0)
30′ – TRY IRELAND: Nick Timoney races to the corner after James Ryan offload, Jack Crowley converts (17-0)
37′ – TRY JAPAN: Kenji Sato credited with try from rolling maul, Seungsin Lee converts (17-7)
40+1′ – YELLOW CARD IRELAND: Jacob Stockdale sin-binned for high tackle on Kippei Ishida
40+2′ – PENALTY JAPAN: Seungsin Lee slots penalty from in front of posts (17-10)
Half-time: Ireland 17-10 Japan
48′ – TRY IRELAND: Andrew Porter powers over after taking short pass from Craig Casey, Jack Crowley misses conversion (22-10)
54′ – NO TRY IRELAND: Jacob Stockdale’s try disallowed after Cian Prendergast ruled offside when charging down kick
66′ – Jamie Osborne leaves field with arm injury, replaced by Jimmy O’Brien
67′ – TRY IRELAND: Gus McCarthy scores from rolling maul after lineout, Sam Prendergast misses conversion (27-10)
72′ – TRY IRELAND: Paddy McCarthy barges over for debut try, Sam Prendergast converts (34-10)
76′ – TRY IRELAND: Tommy O’Brien races clear after Sam Prendergast gathers loose ball and pops inside pass, Sam Prendergast converts (41-10)
Full-time: Ireland 41-10 Japan

In front of 50,060 spectators, Ireland’s set-piece struggles continued from Chicago, with their lineout malfunctioning alarmingly throughout the first half – completing just 57 percent of their throws. Despite this, tries from Jack Crowley and Nick Timoney gave the hosts a 17-0 lead before Japan responded through Kenji Sato to cut the deficit to 17-10 at the break.

A big home W! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/IqnWnLYei2

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) November 8, 2025

Ireland captain Caelan Doris, making his first start since May after shoulder surgery, had to endure a frustrating opening 40 minutes. The hosts also had to play the final minutes of the first half with 14 men after Jacob Stockdale received a yellow card for a high tackle on winger Kippei Ishida.

Following a Crowley penalty in the 6th minute after Japan collapsed a scrum, the game’s first try arrived in the 20th minute. Ireland seized their opportunity after Japan’s Charlie Lawrence was yellow-carded for a dangerous lifting tackle on debutant Tom Farrell. Playing with an advantage, Crowley initiated a flowing move, floating a pass to Tadhg Beirne who connected with O’Brien. Ryan Baird made ground down the right wing before Thomas Clarkson punched a hole through the defense. From quick recycling, Doris flicked a pass to his left where Crowley was looping around to collect and dive under the posts, before adding the conversion himself.

Ireland’s second try on the half-hour mark came from a moment of opportunism. After Beirne had spilled possession, James Ryan reacted quickest to the loose ball, freeing his hands to deliver a well-timed offload to Timoney. The Ulster flanker showcased his pace, racing away from the Japanese defense to score in the corner. Crowley’s impressive conversion from the touchline extended Ireland’s lead to 17-0.

Japan fought back admirably before the interval. Back-to-back penalties allowed them to gain field position deep in the Irish 22, before their well-organized maul drove over the line in the 37th minute. Kenji Sato was credited with the try, which Seungsin Lee converted. After Stockdale’s yellow card for a high tackle, Lee slotted a penalty with the final kick of the half to reduce the deficit to just seven points.

The second half saw Ireland gradually assert their dominance. Andrew Porter crashed over in the 48th minute for their third try, powering through from close range after a more cohesive attacking sequence that began with a clean lineout taken at the front. Tommy O’Brien made ground down the right wing before the ball was recycled quickly through several phases, with Porter running a powerful line off Craig Casey’s short pass to burst over. Crowley’s conversion attempt drifted wide.

After suffering a disallowed try when Jacob Stockdale pounced on a charged-down kick by Cian Prendergast who was ruled offside, Ireland’s replacements made a significant impact in the final quarter. In the 67th minute, substitute hooker Gus McCarthy benefited from a well-executed rolling maul following a precise lineout, scoring Ireland’s fourth try. Sam Prendergast, on for Crowley, missed the conversion from out wide.

Five minutes later, another replacement, Paddy McCarthy, marked his home debut with a try. After sustained pressure in the Japanese 22, the young prop showed good awareness to pick from the base of a ruck and power over the line from close range, with Prendergast adding the extras.

The final flourish came in the 76th minute with a counter-attacking gem. O’Brien brought Japanese winger Tomoki Osada to ground on halfway, before Ireland won turnover ball from the counter-ruck. Sam Prendergast reacted quickly, gathering the loose ball before delivering a perfectly timed one-handed offload back inside to the supporting O’Brien, who accelerated clear to score his first Test try on home soil. Prendergast’s conversion completed the scoring at 41-10.

After the match, man of the match O’Brien reflected on a much-improved second half performance: “We were disappointed with the result last week, and the performance. Felt like we didn’t really fire any shots, which was really disappointing because we had amazing support over there. This week, in front of a home crowd, we wanted to put a better performance together. ‘Faz’ talked at half-time about getting out of our own way, backing ourselves, and I think we did that pretty well in the second half.”

O’Brien also acknowledged that with several new faces in the team, some errors were inevitable: “Obviously there’s a few new guys coming into the team, so it’s always going to be the way (with mistakes). We’re building, we want to stress ourselves to play a nice expansive brand of rugby. Errors are going to come with that obviously, but hopefully as the games go on, we improve.”

For Japan, there were flashes of their trademark attacking enterprise, with fullback Yoshitaka Yazaki making one spectacular break in the second half that momentarily threatened the Irish defense. However, they lacked the stamina to capitalize on Ireland’s early vulnerabilities, fading noticeably in the final quarter.

With tougher tests against Australia and South Africa looming, Farrell will know his side needs more complete performances in the weeks ahead. However, the strong impact from the bench and improved second-half display provided encouraging signs.

Scorers:

Ireland: Tries: J Crowley, N Timoney, A Porter, G McCarthy, P McCarthy, T O’Brien; Cons: J Crowley (3), S Prendergast (2); Pen: J Crowley

Japan: Try: K Sato; Con: S Lee; Pen: S Lee

Siya Kolisi will reach the prestigious milestone of 100 Test caps when he leads the Springboks against France at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday night, becoming just the ninth South African to join rugby’s elite centurion club.

• Siya Kolisi becomes ninth Springbok centurion in significant milestone test
• Rassie Erasmus marks his 50th match as head coach with six personnel changes
• Boan Venter replaces injured Ox Nche at loosehead prop
• Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu retains flyhalf berth after impressive Japan performance
• Damian Willemse returns at fullback with Cheslin Kolbe moving to wing

The captain’s landmark achievement coincides with Rassie Erasmus’s 50th Test in charge, as the coach reshapes his starting lineup with six personnel changes following last weekend’s emphatic 61-7 demolition of Japan at Wembley Stadium.

💯 up for Siya Kolisi as Rassie Erasmus also raises his bat in Paris – more here: https://t.co/CfeRSvkH9H 🔥
Catch every moment live on @SSRugby #Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/5yur5BCBbi

— Springboks (@Springboks) November 6, 2025

Erasmus has opted for Boan Venter to replace the injured Ox Nche at loosehead prop, after the Bulls front-rower sustained a tour-ending ankle injury early in the Japan match. The Edinburgh-based Venter, who has earned five Test caps to date, will pack down alongside Malcolm Marx and Thomas du Toit in the front row.

“A guy like Boan has already played five Test matches for us, and again, to put him there with Malcolm and Thomas, we’d rather have him swim in this tough river,” Erasmus explained. “We really rate Boan highly. It’s unfortunate that we lost Jan-Hendrik Wessels to a suspension and Ox through an off-the-ball tackle.”

In other forward pack changes, Eben Etzebeth returns to the second row alongside Lood de Jager, while Pieter-Steph du Toit is reinstated at flanker, completing a powerful loose trio with Kolisi and No.8 Jasper Wiese – the same combination that started against France in Marseille in 2022.

The backline sees Damian Willemse return from injury to claim the fullback berth, with Cheslin Kolbe shifting to his regular wing position opposite Kurt-Lee Arendse, who retains his place after a two-try performance against Japan. The midfield pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel remains unchanged.

Despite the raft of changes, Erasmus has kept faith with 23-year-old Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at fly-half for a fifth consecutive Test after his stellar two-try display against Japan. The young playmaker will again partner with experienced scrumhalf Cobus Reinach.

“We always planned to make a few changes for this match, and we’ll continue to rotate the players throughout the tour, so we can give as many players as possible a chance while at the same time trying to achieve our objectives on the field,” said Erasmus.

“This, however, is the team we feel is best suited to what we expect from France, and the way we would like to play this weekend. Many of them have also faced France in 2022 and 2023, so they know what to expect from the hosts and have also had a taste of what it is to play in front of their passionate home crowd.”

On the bench, RG Snyman moves from the starting lineup to the replacements, taking the spot of loose forward Kwagga Smith who is nursing a niggle. The Bulls trio of Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp, and Wilco Louw provide front-row cover, while hybrid player Andre Esterhuizen continues in his dual midfield/back-row utility role.

Saturday’s clash will be a rematch of the thrilling 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final at the same venue, where the Springboks edged France 29-28 en route to their second consecutive Webb Ellis Cup triumph. Eleven players from that victory return to the starting lineup this weekend.

Commenting on Kolisi’s century milestone, Erasmus was effusive in his praise while noting that celebrations would come after the match: “This is a huge milestone for Siya and we are all delighted for him. He is a level-headed player and although this will be a big occasion for him, and a match that we would like to make special for him, he is fully focused on the task at hand, so he won’t allow that to overshadow what he must do on the field.

“This is a huge game, and the entire team knows how determined France will be to make up for the World Cup result, so we’ll celebrate Siya’s achievement after the match. That said, hopefully we can make it a memorable game for him.”

The Springboks have won their last four matches against France in Paris, dating back to 2013, although Les Bleus will be eager for revenge after their heartbreaking World Cup exit two years ago.