Springboks v France: The emotion, hostility and drama of the 2025 Test

OPINION: On Friday, the French will get another opportunity to take on the Springboks at the Stade de France. But this time around, the circumstances are different from those of last year, when the two sides met at the same venue.

In 2025, France were driven by revenge. The French media made no secret of their feelings towards South Africa, with the narrative that the Springboks had effectively stolen the 2023 Rugby World Cup from them. Beating the visitors on home soil was presented as the ultimate payback for that quarter-final heartbreak.

It was a week charged with emotion, and having experienced that build-up first-hand, I know just how much this fixture means to the French.

The French media pushed the revenge narrative relentlessly, trying to draw the South Africans into a war of words. Questions about whether this was their biggest and toughest Test of the year, and whether they felt intimidated by the occasion, came thick and fast.

This controversy added another layer to the tension between the two teams ahead of their November 2025 meeting in Paris.

It stemmed from comments by French players and supporters who continued to believe that France had been robbed of their chance to win the 2023 Rugby World Cup after their agonising 28-29 quarterfinal defeat to South Africa on home soil. Some went as far as suggesting that the Springboks had effectively stolen their World Cup.

The debate resurfaced ahead of the rematch at the Stade de France, where the Springboks would again have to deal with the lingering resentment. Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick pushed back against the claims, making it clear that South Africa had earned their victory through a fiercely contested match and had done nothing to diminish France’s ambitions.

The Springboks then underlined their dominance with a convincing 32-17 victory in Paris, adding another painful chapter to France’s attempts to put the 2023 defeat behind them.

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Yet the Springboks remained remarkably composed. Coaches and players sat through the interviews calmly, refusing to be drawn into the noise. Their message was consistent: they were there to play for their country, not to get caught up in the opposition’s emotions.

Moving among the players at their hotel in Bercy and attending training sessions, I noticed a different atmosphere from the previous week, when South Africa had played Japan in London. There was a sharper focus, a sense of purpose and a determination that was difficult to miss. The players appeared acutely aware of the attention surrounding them and watched the media activity around the team closely.

There were also significant personal milestones. Siya Kolisi was preparing to earn his 100th Test cap, while Rassie Erasmus was approaching another coaching milestone. Even the coach’s 53rd birthday during the week added to the occasion.

And then came match day.

South African supporters were a clear minority as we made our way into the Stade de France. Inside, the French supporters, dressed in blue and sporting berets and chicken headgear, created an atmosphere that was unlike anything I had experienced before.

The build-up was breathtaking. The noise, the colour and the sheer passion of the home crowd made it an occasion I will remember for a long time.

The Springboks faced a hostile crowd and the added adversity of a red card. Their ability to stay calm, adapt to the circumstances, and shift momentum was a defining feature of that memorable victory. Rather than allowing the atmosphere to overwhelm them, they used it as fuel.

That experience is worth remembering as the teams prepare to meet again on Friday.

The mood in the French media ahead of Friday’s Nations Championship showdown at the Stade de France has been a mixture of apprehension, injury concerns and lingering resentment towards the Springboks. Following South Africa’s emphatic 66-7 demolition of Italy, French rugby journalists have openly acknowledged the scale of the challenge facing Les Bleus.

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Much of the French coverage has also focused on Fabien Galthié’s injury crisis, with reports suggesting he is without as many as 25 players. The loss of flyhalf Romain Ntamack against Fiji has compounded France’s selection headache, particularly with several other options at number 10 unavailable. Yet beneath the talk of injuries and the daunting Springbok challenge, the old World Cup wounds remain.

The French are well aware of what South Africa can do, but the desire to settle old scores has not disappeared.

France currently lead the Northern Hemisphere standings with 17 points after four rounds of the Nations Championship, with just two rounds remaining before Finals Weekend in London.

Entering the fifth round of the Nations Championship, South Africa have 93.09 points to New Zealand’s 92.65, with the order of the rest of the teams below them in the top 10 also unchanged.

Ireland continue to head the chasing pack in third, on 88.70 points, having picked up 0.63 points for their 42-12 win at home to Argentina on Friday evening.

Six Nations rivals, France and England, remain in fourth and fifth but with marginally better rankings scores, thanks to emphatic wins over Fiji and Australia.

With two rounds remaining, France want to strengthen their position at the top of the Northern Hemisphere standings, while the Springboks will be looking to make another statement against one of their fiercest rivals.

Last year’s encounter showed just how much the atmosphere, emotion and pressure can shape this fixture. France will again have their home crowd behind them, and the memories of 2023 will not have disappeared.

But the Springboks have already shown that they are comfortable playing the villain in Paris.

Having witnessed the occasion first-hand last year, I know Friday’s meeting will be another chapter in a rivalry that neither side is willing to let go of.