The Springboks suffered a narrow 21–19 defeat against France at the Stade de France on Friday night, ending their unbeaten run in the 2026 Nations Championship after a dramatic contest.
South Africa fought back strongly in the second half, with hooker Malcolm Marx scoring a late try to give the visitors hope of snatching victory.
France made the most of their opportunities, producing three tries through Grandidier-Nkanang, Antoine Dupont and Louis Bielle-Biarrey to build a 21–14 advantage.
The match also featured several disciplinary incidents, with five yellow cards shown during the encounter.
South Africa’s hopes were dealt a major blow when number eight Jasper Wiese received a red card for an illegal clear-out.
Despite being a player down, the Springboks dominated the scrum and continued putting France under pressure.
Marx eventually powered over from a driving maul in the 74th minute to score South Africa’s third try. However, Handré Pollard’s replacement, Manie Libbok, missed the conversion, leaving the Springboks two points behind.
South Africa pushed hard in the closing stages, but France held on to secure a 21–19 victory in front of their home supporters.
The result ended the Springboks’ unbeaten record in this year’s Nations Championship, while France celebrated an important victory over the world champions.
FULL-TIME: France 21–19 South Africa.