France hold on to break drought against Boks in Paris
France defeated South Africa 21-19 in a high-stakes rugby match, ending a 21-year winless drought against the Springboks in Paris. The game was characterized by high levels of indiscipline, resulting in multiple yellow cards and one red card.
Why it matters
The result significantly impacts the Nations Championship standings and shifts the balance of power in international rugby.
France hung on in the face of a strong Springbok fightback to squeak to a 21-19 win at the Stade France that has changed the face of the Nations Championship and also breaks a 21 year drought in Paris for the hosts against the reigning world champions.
The result means that the Boks took just a losing bonus point from the game, which means that New Zealand are likely to displace them at the top of the southern hemisphere log as they should comfortably beat Wales in Cardiff on Saturday. As it stands, South Africa hold a one point advantage at the top. Their remaining game will be against Ireland in Dublin, while the All Blacks are set to travel from Cardiff to London in the final week of the league phase.
Also covering this story
12 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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