Bok backlash buries France

The Springboks claimed an emphatic win against France in Paris, while the All Blacks survived a scare in Edinburgh to keep their Grand Slam dream alive.

We’re three weeks into the Autumn Nations Series, and while upsets have been few and far between, some of the scorelines have raised a few eyebrows.

The battle between the Boks and France on Saturday night was billed as a rematch of the 2023 World Cup quarter-final, which ended 29-28 in favour of South Africa.

Most predicted another tight contest, and former Bok flank Schalk Burger went as far as to call another one-point win for Rassie Erasmus’ side.

France were in control for large periods of the Test, and went to the break with a 14-13 lead. The momentum was with the hosts, after Lood de Jager was shown a red card for a reckless tackle in the 40th minute.

Skipper Siya Kolisi, playing in his 100th Test, was forced to sacrifice himself as Erasmus reshuffled the pack and the backline to absorb the loss of the No 5.

Despite the one-man handicap, the Boks grew stronger as the game progressed, and ultimately finished with a 32-17 victory – with Cobus Reinach, Grant Williams, André Esterhuizen and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu scoring tries.

Most betting markets predicted a close finish in Paris, with France starting with a one-point handicap.

But on the night, the Boks piled on the pressure and the points in the final quarter to win by an emphatic margin.

Earlier on Saturday, Japan took the fight to Ireland in the match staged in Dublin, and trailed by just seven points at half-time.

After the break, the hosts, upped the tempo to finish with six tries and a convincing 41-10 victory.

The clash at Murrayfield was more dramatic, with Scotland leaking 17 unanswered points in the first half before fighting back in the second stanza.

The All Blacks were shown three yellow cards over the course of the game, but managed to win 25-17. Punters who took the +8 handicap bet (1.95) will be thrilled by Scotland’s second-half performance.

Over in Udine, Italy and Australia fought tooth and nail, with the Azzurri prevailing in the final stages.

Competing in their third game in three weeks, the Wallabies were always expected to tire – and yet, the 26-19 result in favour of Italy was something of an upset, and will have other top teams like the Boks on notice.

The match between England and Fiji in London did not flow as expected, but the hosts did enough to bank a 38-18 win. The Pacific Islanders finished within the +22 handicap.

On Sunday in Cardiff, Argentina claimed another scalp for the southern hemisphere when they thrashed Wales 52-28 – with the home team failing to finish within the 11-point handicap.

The action continues this weekend, with the Boks tackling Italy in Turin on Saturday afternoon.

The biggest clash of the round sees a much-improved England hosting New Zealand, while Wales face Japan in Cardiff, Ireland take on Australia in Dublin, and France battle Fiji in Paris.

On Sunday, Scotland host Argentina in a Test that will have a significant bearing on the final World Rugby rankings for the 2025 season – and ultimately the 2027 World Cup draw, which will be staged on 3 December.

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