The Stade de France is French rugby’s national fortress, but the Boks have made themselves rather comfortable in Paris

The Stade de France is French rugby’s national fortress, but the Springboks have made themselves rather comfortable in Paris.

South Africa have won nine of their last 10 Tests against France, including their last four at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris.

France last beat the Springboks at their national stadium in 2001.

The Springboks have made a habit of winning the biggest matches in Paris, most memorably Jacques Nienaber’s 2023 World Cup champions, who beat France by a point in an extraordinary quarterfinal before winning the semifinal against England and the final against the All Blacks by the same margin.

Rassie Erasmus’s Boks returned last year and won 32-17, despite playing 30 minutes of the second half with 14 men against 15.

It’s the most difficult challenge this current generation has ever faced: playing these world champions Springboks — Fabien Galthié, France coach

The scoreline suggested comfort, but the contest was anything but. Any win in Paris is earned.

France are the reigning Six Nations champions, consistently Europe’s strongest rugby nation and, arguably, the only country that can rival South Africa for quality and depth beyond their strongest match-day 23.

Their depth evident

The French demolished Australia 42-26 in July’s Nations Championship, and their depth was again evident in the selection against Fiji last Saturday, with just 11 survivors from the match-day squad that overwhelmed the Wallabies.

There were only seven survivors from last year’s defeat against the Springboks: five in the starting XV and two among the replacements.

The most significant addition is scrumhalf and captain Antoine Dupont, whose injury absence last year deprived France of arguably the most influential player in world rugby.

Erasmus has consistently acknowledged France’s quality, from the build-up to the 2023 World Cup quarterfinal through to last year’s victory. “I‘ve always been impressed by their size; they obviously have special playmakers, but they can also physically hurt their opponents,” he said.

“Playing at the Stade de France is always special for us. We have had great results there; we love the noise of the crowd and the energy of the crowd. It is a pressured environment, and our players, like the French, feed off that energy.”

France coach Fabien Galthié has been equally complimentary of the world champions. “They still have the same strengths — their pack, their aerial kicking game — which they’ve developed even further, the same power,” said Galthié.

“It’s the most difficult challenge this current generation has ever faced: playing these world champion Springboks.”

Best team in rugby

A year ago, Galthié described the Springboks as “perhaps the best team ever in the sport,” and his admiration has only grown. “They were exceptional in beating the All Blacks in three successive Tests.”

Erasmus selected his strongest available 23 for yesterday’s 66-7 victory against Italy in Turin and is unlikely to make significant changes for Paris.

Sixteen of those selected against Italy featured in last year’s 32-17 victory, with loosehead prop Boan Venter the only fit player from that winning combination omitted. The other six are unavailable through injury.

For Springbok scrum coach Daan Human, France, as a rugby nation, carries particular significance.

Human, a four-Test Springbok in 2002, joined Toulouse in 2004 and made 169 appearances before retiring in 2012.

He has often said he learned to scrum in France and retains enormous affection for Toulouse, French rugby’s passion, and the country’s appreciation of the set piece.

That mutual respect extends to both coaching staffs and playing groups.

Erasmus and captain Siya Kolisi have repeatedly emphasised that South Africa’s dominance in Paris disguises how little has separated the teams.

“In most cases, there is just one score between us. They are a very good side, and in Fabien they have an exceptional coach.”