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France v Springboks: Stats, facts and figures
South Africa have the edge over France, with the Boks winning the last seven meetings between the teams.
South Africa’s Bongi Mbonambi celebrates with team-mates, including flyhalf Handre Pollard, after scoring the winning try during the Test against France in Saint-Denis in 2018, the last meeting between the teams. Picture: EPA-EFE/Yoan Valat
France will host the Springboks in an end-of-year tour match at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille on Saturday, with kick-off at 10pm.
It will be the Boks’ second match of their November tour of Europe after losing 19-16 to Ireland last Saturday.
France, meanwhile, edged Australia 30-29 in Saint-Denis last weekend.
Record
The Boks and France have faced each other on 44 occasions, with the South Africans triumphing 27 times and France winning 11 times. There have been six draws.
The teams have faced each other 20 times in France, with the Boks winning 14 and France five, with one draw.
History
The first meeting between the teams was on 11 January 1913 at the Parc Lescure in Bordeaux. South Africa won that match 38-5. The teams did not clash again until 16 February 1952, when the Boks won 25-3 at Colombes.
The last time the teams met at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille was in November 2002, with France winning 30-10.
Last 10 meetings
The Boks have won the last seven meetings between the teams, going back to 2010. France won the three matches before that, going back to 2005. The results of the last two matches are: Boks 29, France 26 in November 2018 in Saint-Denis and Boks 18, France 17 in November 2017 in Saint Denis.
Player milestones
Bok captain Siya Kolisi is the squad member who has faced France most often — on six occassions.
Eben Etzebeth will extend his number of Tests as a Bok lock to 108 on Saturday (with only Victor Matfield ahead of him with 127 Tests, while Jesse Kriel is the only player in the squad who has scored more than one try against France. He has scored three.
Last Test lineups
In 2018 when the teams met in Saint-Denis, this is what they looked like:
France: Maxime Medard, Teddy Thomas, Mathieu Bastareaud, Geoffrey Doumayrou, Damian Penaud, Camille Lopez, Baptiste Serin, Louis Picamoles, Arthur Iturria, Wenceslas Lauret, Yoann Maestri, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Cedate Gomes Sa, Guilhem Guirado (capt), Jefferson Poirot. Bench: Camille Chat, Dany Priso, Rabah Slimani, Paul Gabrillagues, Mathieu Babillot, Antoine Dupont, Anthony Belleau, Gael Fickou
South Africa: Willie le Roux, S’bu Nkosi, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Handré Pollard, Faf de Klerk, Warren Whiteley, Duane Vermeulen, Siya Kolisi (capt), Franco Mostert, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff. Bench: Bongi Mbonambi, Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch, RG Snyman, Francois Louw, Embrose Papier, Elton Jantjies, Cheslin Kolbe
