Jasper sees red as France edge Boks
No 8 Jasper Wiese was sent off in the second half of a narrow defeat for the Springboks at the Stade de France on Friday night.
The 21-19 Nations Championship victory for France in Paris ended the Boks’ hold over them and top spot on the world rankings.
The visitors trailed 21-7 at half-time after a difficult opening 40 minutes in which they were temporarily reduced to 14 men, and had Wiese sin-binned soon after the restart before France’s Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang was also sent off.
Wiese’s yellow card – for a dangerous cleanout on outside centre Kalvin Gourgues – was upgraded to a 20-minute red card.
Bok replacement Cobus Reinach crossed in the 52nd minute, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting to cut the deficit to seven.
Malcolm Marx then scored from another powerful maul in the 71st minute, but Manie Libbok missed the conversion, leaving the Boks two points short of levelling the scores but still claiming a losing bonus point.
It’s going down to the wire 💥
The Springbok maul powers over 😤💪
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— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) November 13, 2026
The world champions had won nine of their last 10 meetings with France, including the last five in Paris.
It was Les Bleus’ first win over the Boks since 2022, and it lifts them to third on the global rankings and sends New Zealand to No 1, though the All Blacks must beat Wales on Saturday to stay there.
Defeat ended the Boks’ unbeaten run in the competition and dented their position at the top of the southern hemisphere standings ahead of the finals weekend at Twickenham on 27-29 November.
On Friday night, Rassie Erasmus made a late front-row switch, with Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Gerhard Steenekamp and Thomas du Toit starting, while Marx, Wilco Louw and Ox Nché moved to the bench.
French rival Fabien Galthié also made an alteration after hooker Julien Marchand withdrew following injury in the warm-up and Peato Mauvaka promoted to the run-on XV.
Galthié’s other big selection came earlier in the week, entrusting skipper Antoine Dupont with the No 10 jersey for the first time and naming Maxime Lucu at scrumhalf.
Bok lock Lood de Jager was yellow-carded in the 12th minute for head contact in a tackle on Lucu, and France capitalised with converted tries from right winger Grandidier-Nkanang and fullback Théo Attissogbe.
The TMO takes a closer look 🔍
Théo Attissogbe’s try is good and France get their second 🇫🇷🏉
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Wessels pulled one back à la Marx, but speedster Louis Bielle-Biarrey extended the hosts’ advantage after Dupont’s clever kick ahead.
France also lost Lucu to a yellow card late in the half following a high hit on Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Kurt-Lee Arendse thought he had scored on the hooter, but a TMO review ruled the Bok No 14 offside and disallowed the try.
The Boks face Ireland, who tackle Fiji on Saturday, in Dublin next week, while France host Argentina.
FRANCE – Tries: Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, Théo Attissogbe, Louis Bielle-Biarrey. Conversions: Maxime Lucu (3).
SPRINGBOKS – Tries: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Reinach, Malcolm Marx. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2).
Photo: David Winter/Gallo Images