South Africa showed all their world champions’ resilience, storming back from 14-6 down and the first-half sending-off of the lock Lood de Jager to crush France 32-17 in a bruising Autumn international on Saturday.
Down a man for the entire second half, the Springboks absorbed early pressure before overwhelming Les Bleus through sheer physicality and composure, silencing a raucous Stade de France crowd expecting revenge for France’s World Cup heartbreak.
Two years after their agonising 29-28 World Cup quarter-final loss to the Springboks on home soil, Les Bleus looked eager to make amends even without their injured captain Antoine Dupont. But France, now on a four-match losing streak, cracked under pressure as their discipline disintegrated despite the Springboks being reduced to 14 men on the stroke of half-time.
Fabien Galthié’s side looked irresistible early on as the winger Damian Penaud scored twice to become his country’s all-time leading try-scorer with 40, surpassing Serge Blanco’s longstanding record.
A succession of reckless infringements and a costly yellow card, however, handed the initiative to the Springboks who punished every mistake in ruthless fashion.
South Africa fought back with tries from Cobus Reinach, André Esterhuizen, Grant Williams and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who also slotted two penalties and three conversions.
It had all started brightly for France. The full-back Thomas Ramos sent a perfectly weighted chip over the defence after four minutes which Penaud gathered to score. The winger struck again soon after, diving into the corner to double the lead, and when De Jager was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Ramos, France seemed in full control despite being only one point ahead.
South Africa celebrate at the final whistle after three second-half tries secured victory in Paris. Photograph: Nathan Barange/DPPI/Shutterstock
Then came South Africa’s spectacular revival through a mixture of clinical attacking and iron discipline. The France winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey was sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on, and the world champions pounced.
Esterhuizen powered over from a maul after the visitors had chosen to go for the lineout after being awarded a penalty, before Williams darted through a splintered defence for another try as the momentum swung quickly.
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Ireland 41-10 Japan
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Ireland bounced back from defeat by New Zealand by beginning their home autumn internationals with a 41-10 win over Japan in Dublin. After last weekend’s deflating 26-13 loss to the All Blacks in Chicago, tries from Jack Crowley and Nick Timoney (pictured) helped Andy Farrell’s much-changed side overcome a slow start at the Aviva Stadium.
Eddie Jones’ Brave Blossoms trailed only 17-10 at half-time after Kenji Sato’s score and five points from the boot of Lee Seung-sin. But the hosts, who face upcoming appointments against Australia and world champions South Africa, improved significantly in the second period.. But the hosts, who face upcoming appointments against Australia and the world champions, South Africa, improved significantly in the second period. Andrew Porter crossed to increase Ireland’s lead before wing Tommy O’Brien sealed victory after Gus McCarthy and Paddy McCarthy each came off the bench to touch down. Crowley also kicked seven points, with replacement fly-half Sam Prendergast slotting two conversions.
Asked if he got the response he wanted to the deflating defeat to the All Blacks, Andy Farrell, who made eight alterations to his starting XV, replied: “In short, no. Certainly not in the first half. But the response that we wanted from half-time onwards was pleasing enough because when you make a good few errors within your game it can suppress you a little bit.
“We were feeling sorry for ourselves a little bit and the mood wasn’t how it should be. But how we got over ourselves and got some tempo back into the game in the second half is credit to the lads.”
 Farrell has concerns over full-back Jamie Osborne, who was forced off injured in the 65th minute. “It doesn’t look good, poor lad – you could see by the way he was holding his arm,” said Farrell. “I thought he might have broken something. But it’s the shoulder, we think, that was out of place and back in place now. But to know that for sure we’ll have to get a look at that.”
Eddie Jones felt his side missed an opportunity to record a famous victory. “We put ourselves in a position to win the game in the first half, probably went into half-time with a little bit of momentum, Ireland had [Jacob] Stockdale in the bin,” said the Australian. “But we didn’t take advantage of the sin-bin and then – whether we got disappointed – we just faded badly in the last 30 minutes. PA Media
Photograph: Niall Carson/PA
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With France rattled and conceding a succession of penalties, Feinberg-Mngomezulu sealed a remarkable comeback, rounding the defence on the outside and sliding over the line before converting his own try.
South Africa have now beaten France in nine of their past 10 meetings. France next face Fiji in Bordeaux on Saturday while South Africa travel to Italy.
