VIDEO: France setting a trap for Rassie's Bok stars?

PARIS, FRANCE: Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones says the Les Bleus team that faces the Springboks at Stade de France in Paris on Saturday will be a vastly different side from the one that suffered defeats to New Zealand.

New Zealand thumped France 43-17 to win the second Test in Wellington and clinched the series with a game to spare.

Following those defeats on their tour to New Zealand in July, the French are also facing an unprecedented injury crisis ahead of their highly anticipated clash against the world champion Springboks.

The injury list leading up to the November Tests is well-documented and includes some front-line names such as Antoine Dupont, Peato Mauvaka, Uini Atonio, Francois Cros, Charles Ollivon, Baptiste Couilloud, Yoram Moefana, Théo Attissogbe, Matthieu Jalibert, and Romain Taofifenua.

Earlier in the season, French captain Dupont said he was aiming to return to playing after the November Tests. The 28-year-old scrumhalf suffered a serious knee injury in March this year.

Luckily for Les Blues coach, Dupont’s understudy, Maxime Lucu, played his first minutes of the season for Bordeaux in late October, after rupturing a tendon in his hand in a pre-season outing against Montauban.

He joined the French side at their headquarters at Marcoussis for their training camp ahead of the November Tests.

And besides Lucu, Galthie also has other options at No.9. Nolann Le Garrec and Baptiste Jauneau are also on the radar to replace the stand-in for Dupont.

Le Garrec started Les Bleus’ three Tests against New Zealand in July, while Jauneau won the last of his two caps against the All Blacks.

France’s tour of New Zealand in July 2025 was marred by controversy due to the selection of an understrength team, which raised concerns among New Zealand officials.

Galthié included 17 uncapped players in his squad, prompting New Zealand Rugby to issue a statement expressing surprise and disappointment at the decision, while the French side defended their selection as part of a preparation cycle for the 2027 World Cup.

The French went on to lose all three Test matches. Coming off those losses and having played their last test in July, does it mean they would be easy pickings for South Africa?

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Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones does not believe so.

“I think Fabian [Galthie] has done that a few times with their summer [July] tours, where he’s brought what might not commonly be considered as their first team.

“I’m not sure how that is seen here in France – it was probably lesser-known guys – but I think it is a great exercise in building depth,” Jones responded to the question.

“That is something they got right over the last four years, and they continue to do so.

“With this game, we expect it to be a different selection,” he stated, and added that planning ahead of the game in Paris was made difficult as their last game was so long ago, compounded by the fact that their top players weren’t in action back then.

“That does make things a little bit different in that the players we are watching from their most recent games are not necessarily the players that will play this weekend. I’m sure there will be a few,” he explained.

“But you can also see the direction the team is going in because they are obviously very well coached.

“And you can see the slight changes in their game that they were trying to bring into effect, quite successfully at times, against New Zealand.

“I would say it just makes it a little bit different. You are still doing the analysis, and we are still looking at how the other players are playing in the Top 14.

“And we’ve seen guys play, whether it’s with their United Rugby Championship teams or Premiership teams in the European Cup, while also keeping a close eye on the Top 14.”