France 'could have scored 40 points' against South Africa in 2023

Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick says South Africa must be at their absolute best to contain France in Saturday night’s Test at the Stade de France.

Earlier in the week, head coach Rassie Erasmus had predicted the French selection almost man for man — a side stacked with power and size across the park. Emmanuel Meafou and Thibaud Flament form a towering 261kg second-row pairing, with Anthony Jelonch and Paul Boudehent adding further punch on the flanks. The 6–2 bench split underlines France’s intent to meet South Africa head-on, with Romain Taofifenua, Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou among the hefty reinforcements waiting in reserve.

However, it’s the backline that worries Stick.

The assistant coach pointed out that the French backline remains largely unchanged from the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final, a match the Boks edged 29-28, and warned that any lapse in Bok intensity would likely be punished.

“Romain Ntamack is the only player in their backline who didn’t play in 2023, and he’s a world-class player,” said Stick. “If you look at the players around him as well, such as Thomas Ramos, and their wings, who are very fast and dangerous, we know that if we give them space and time, they’ll punish us.”

He expects another fast-paced and physically taxing encounter in Paris. “We know the nature of the French team. They’ll keep the ball in play, and they have a high-tempo game, so we know very well that to win against them, we need to be at our best.”

Stick referenced their meeting at the 2023 Rugby World Cup at the same stadium, when France threatened to run riot before the Boks held their nerve to win a controversial contest.

“In 2023, if we weren’t at our best against them that day, they could have scored 40 points, and we are expecting the same tomorrow,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough one, but we also know we have the right squad to handle this match.”

With just one new face in the South African backline – 23-year-old playmaker Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – Stick believes familiarity and cohesion could be key.

“If you look at our backline, all the players except for Sacha played in that match, so we’ll keep on doing our best to make our people proud at home.”