France player ratings: France arrive looking to build on last week’s eight-try demolition Fiji and for 50 minutes they looked capable of doing just that against the world champions Springboks. In a chaotic, breathless contest played at a level of intensity that bordered on the absurd, Fabien Galthie’s side jumped out to a 21-7 lead and appeared to be in complete control.
Then came the brain rot. A yellow card for Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, Maxime Lucu’s missed penalty and the inevitable South African strike and pressure turned what should have been a comfortable win into a white-knuckle finish. Somehow, despite multiple threats to throw it away, France held on for a dramatic 21-19 victory.
15. Theo Attissogbe – 7
A night that summed up Attissogbe perfectly. The Pau The speedster showed sharp reactions to the attack after Kalvin Gourgues inadvertently poked the ball in the face to give him a chance to try. But there was plenty of sloppiness mixed with brilliance. A careless pass in the 54th minute put pressure on France and his needless strike in the 74th minute restored possession when game management was needed.
14. Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang – 7
He looked electric whenever he got his hands on the ball. He made an early half-break before being bundled into touch and later finished superbly in the corner after initially being smothered by the Springbok defence. He got a great score on 21 minutes and a huge aerial catch late on. The yellow card for breaking the ball in the 49th minute was a huge momentum changer though and brought him down.
13. Kalvin Gourgues – 6.5
A player who was difficult to score on because he was equal parts brilliant and furious. He made a classy break and some nice attacking touches, while his fortuitous assist for Attissogbe’s try will live long in the memory. He shot poorly at key moments, missed touch twice and made too many unforced errors. There’s a serious player there, but France didn’t always get the polished version.
12. Yoram Moefana – 6
A quieter exit from the center against the heavyweights. He missed three tackles and was lucky not to be booked after appearing to get away with a slap attempt on the hour mark. He didn’t have many opportunities with the ball in hand and never quite imposed himself in the proceedings. His growth when working as a number 8 was impressive.
11. Louis Bielle-Biarrey – 8
He did everything that was asked of him and always looked dangerous. He worked tirelessly to get involved, winning the high ball impressively and scoring a superb try after Antoine Dupont’s perfectly timed grubber. South Africa he rarely looked comfortable lurking around the ball and his threat continued until the final whistle.
10. Antoine Dupont – 9.5
Nominally carried 10, but still spent much of the opening stages playing scrum-half. It didn’t matter because he was comfortably the best defender on the pitch. He produced a beautiful shot from the crossfield, a stunning 50:22 and a perfect grubber for Bielle-Biarrey’s try. He also appeared at the bottom of a key block on Pieter-Steph du Toit. France’s injury crisis at fly-half hardly seemed relevant when Dupont was playing like this.
9. Maksim Lucu – 6
A very mixed evening. He took a terrifying hit from high tackle specialist Lood de Jager and the South African was eventually shown a yellow on review. He scored a tough conversion on the touchline but was harshly booked for a passive tackle on Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu after the Bok fly-half went down high. A missed penalty in the 66th minute that would have extended the lead was huge at the time and invited South Africa back into the contest.
1. Jean-Baptiste Gros – 6.5
Two strong early runs helped the French settle their nerves after a difficult opening. He conceded a few penalties and came under considerable pressure from Thomas du Toit and company at times, but continued to contribute effectively on the park and never stopped working.
2. Peato Mauvaka – 8
He officially wears 16 after a late change, but he started the game, and what an impact he made. He produced a brilliant strip in the match inside two minutes, repeatedly beat defenders on carries and sparked France’s third try with an extremely sharp drive through the ruck. One of France’s most dynamic acts from start to finish.
3. World Championship – 5
A difficult evening. France were brought down in the opening scrum and Falatea took much of the punishment, although the home side can feel a few calls went against them. Gerhard Steenekamp gave him a terrible check and there were some awkward moments during the fight. Credit to him for continuing to fight, getting a decent break later, but then he was taken down in contact and awarded a crucial penalty.
4. Florian Verhaeghe – 8.5
Outstanding. He may not possess the greatness of another order, but he more than compensated with effort, intelligence and precision. Excellent in the set-up, excellent in the air and his tackling was consistently first class. One of those performances that doesn’t generate headlines but wins Test matches.
5. Mickael Guillard – 7.5
He started strongly in defense and somehow I beat three Springbok defenders in the first half, which not many forwards can claim. A rare athlete capable of swimming through South African traffic. She combined physical strength with genuine mobility and helped France stay on the front foot for long periods.
6. Francois Cros – 8
Classic Cross. He latched on to a loose ball under huge pressure in the 47th minute and produced a huge tackle on Mannie Libbock late on with the game hanging in the balance. Not flashy, rarely celebrated, but relentlessly effective. Exactly the kind of side you want in a piece like this.
7. Cameron Woki – 7
It appeared everywhere like a bad smell, in the best sense of the phrase. His break after Alldritt’s turnover was one of the moments that ignited the French attack, while his work on the pitch never faltered. Typical Woki performance full of energy and uncomfortable value.
8. Gregory Alldritt – 7.5
He returned to the French side after a long absence and immediately reminded everyone of his value. He made an outrageous turnover to get the offense going early and remained influential throughout. He missed a few attempts and wasn’t flawless, but France looked better as they put him back in blue.
Substitutions – 4
The bench just couldn’t live with the South African bomb squad. Rodrigue Netti struggled in scrum time, Regis Montagne’s yellow card compounded France’s disciplinary problems and the substitutes’ pack was broken at the start. Esteban Capilla at least scored a powerful strike, while Tom Staniforth worked hard enough without ever looking truly international class. France won despite the contribution from the bench, not because of it.
