VIDEO - Jasper: Wounded French are coming for us

PARIS, FRANCE: Springbok No.8 Jasper Wiese sat in the stands and watched as his team narrowly beat France in the quarterfinal of the World Cup at Stade de France in Paris in 2023.

Together with his other teammates who had to watch from the sidelines, they made plans for their team on the field, willing them to victory.

He remembers the noise in the stadium.

And he remembers how devastated France was. And he believes they still are.

He is expecting a grudge match on Saturday evening when these two sides clash once more.

The loose forward will most likely be on the field this time, facing the wrath of a bruised Les Bleus side. But he is prepared for what is coming.

Wiese led the Springboks’ charge in their record-setting triumph over the All Blacks in Wellington after returning to the Bok starting line-up for the first time since July.

That was after his suspension for an attempted headbutt against Italy.

Against New Zealand, the 30-year-old delivered what the Boks had been missing – a powerful carrying option in midfield while adding physicality to the Bok pack.

His influence was central to the 43-10 victory, the All Blacks’ heaviest defeat in Test history.

This week, Wiese sat down to face reporters, and once more, the common theme of their questioning revolved around the ‘grudge’ and ‘revenge’ issues.

*Article continues below…

And the 40-Test capped Wiese responded like they wanted him to, by acknowledging that the French are still hurt, two years down the line.

“The French are hurt; they are going to come for us. We know it. So it’s how we react to it, is going to be important,” he reacted, adding, “I think they had a lot of hurt after that game.

“As you can see, they are coming out and saying it is for revenge. It’s going to be a good challenge.

“I think we can expect that they will be up for this game,” he confirmed.

Thinking back to that day, Wiese remembers it vividly. The noise inside Stade de France, sitting side by side with his fellow Bok teammates.

“I wasn’t fortunate enough to play, but I was in the stands, and I just remember the crowd was very loud.

“They [France] started well, they scored in the third or fourth minute. But we stuck to our guns, and we knew what the plan was going to be.

“I think the forwards came more into the game. We, the guys that weren’t playing, sat in the stands and tried to make plans, telling them what we think they should do.

“There were massive moments in the game that shifted it for us. And in the end, it was a very, very big win for us,” he reminisced.

Looking ahead at this weekend, Wiese believes the French will try and dominate the Springboks physically up front before unleashing their dangerous backs.

“From a forward perspective, you know what to expect from them. They are big boys, and they are going to try and bully you.

“And then in the backline, they’ve got flair. All of their backline players are exceptional players.

“Unfortunately, [Antoine] Dupont isn’t playing, but if you think of all those guys that are coming in for him, they are brilliant players.”