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Boks go down in Paris nail-biter

France hung on for their first win over the Springboks in Paris in 21 years when they outlasted a second half charge by the visitors to turn a 21-7 lead at the break into...

Boks go down in Paris nail-biter
PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 13: Jesse Kriel of South Africa takes on Aaron Grandidier Nkanang of France during the Nations Championship match between France and South Africa at Stade de France on November 13, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by David Winter/Gallo Images)

The hosts had more possession and enjoyed territorial advantage in the first half, and their back-three of Aaron Grandidier Nkanang, Theo Attissogbe, and Louis Bielle-Biarrey all crossed for tries.

Their first two tries came while Lood de Jager was in the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle, with Maxime Lucu yellow carded for the same reason later in the half.

Jan-Hendrik Wessels scored the Boks’ only try in the opening half, while Kurt-Lee Arendse went over on the stroke of half-time, but he was adjudged to be offside at the lineout.

The Boks scored two tries in the second half while France failed to add any points to their tally, but the hosts did enough to seal their first win over South Africa in Paris since 2005.

*More to follow…*

**Scorers:**

**France 21 (21)** – Tries: Aaron Grandidier Nkanang, Theo Attissogbe, Louis Bielle-Biarrey. Conversions: Maxime Lucu (3).

**Springboks 19 (7)** – Tries: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Reinach, Malcolm Marx. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2).

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