PARIS (AP) — France upset world champion South Africa 21-19 in a thriller between the Nations Championship rugby leaders that exceeded the hype on Friday night.
The Springboks started the match as the overwhelming favorite — unbeaten in the new competition, unbeaten against France at its national stadium for 21 years — but never led an epic heavyweight showdown.
Superbly conducted by halves Antoine Dupont and Maxime Lucu — tagged “icons" by coach Fabien Galthié — a heavily depleted France shot out to 14-0 and 21-7 by halftime and held on without scoring in a nerve-shredding second half despite three yellow cards and an outclassed scrum.
The match was considered a potential preview of the final at Twickenham in two weeks, but while Six Nations champion France looks set to get there representing the northern hemisphere, South Africa may not make it.
The Springboks will be overtaken atop the southern hemisphere standings and lose its No. 1 world ranking if undefeated New Zealand beats Wales on Saturday, as expected.
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The Springboks closed to 21-14 with 14 men with 30 minutes to go, revving up their power game for a grandstand finish.
France was bleeding penalties, nine in the scrum alone, but its desperate scrambling defense roused a packed Stade de France.
South Africa’s Pieter-Steph du Toit was held up over the tryline while Lucu, France's goalkicker with a staggering 87% success rate, ramped up the tension when he missed a routine penalty attempt that would have given France a 10-point lead.
Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx inevitably scored from a rolling maul but Manie Libbok, on for Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, botched the conversion attempt that would have tied the score with eight minutes left.
The Boks had one last chance in the last minute but Louis Bielle-Biarrey stopped the charge, Dupont jumped on the loose ball and Lucu kicked it into touch to end a gripping match.
The drama began before kickoff. South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus flipped his front rows, sending his original starters to the bench and vice versa, as he did against New Zealand in August in Cape Town.
Meanwhile France, already down to its sixth tighthead prop and fifth flyhalf, also made a late change after Julien Marchand, its best scrummaging hooker, was hurt in the warmups and replaced by Peato Mauvaka, who started his 50th test.
The commotion transferred into a frantic start. France waived a kickable penalty in the second minute and Lucu kicked the ball dead. South Africa popped the France front row in the first scrum, and when France had an attacking lineout South Africa stole the ball.
The first turning point was a yellow card for South Africa lock Lood de Jager, a year after he was red-carded against France in a game the Boks still won.
France struck immediately. Center Kalvin Gourgues made the initial break and, after 16 phases, winger Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang dived in from a Lucu cut-out pass.
Then it was 14-0 after a pass bounced off Gourgues' face and fullback Théo Atissogbe was fastest to the loose ball behind the posts.
Hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels finished a lineout drive try to get South Africa started but France hit back when Dupont supported a Mauvaka break and grubbered toward the left corner flag for Bielle-Biarrey to charge on to.
The original Springboks front row was sent on in the 35th minute but South Africa butchered the end of the half.
A penalty kick was kicked dead then a try by winger Kurt-Lee Arendse was rubbed out because he was offside.
France started the second half a man down after a sin-bin for Lucu, but South Africa also went to 14 when No. 8 Jasper Wiese was yellow-carded for a dangerous clearout. The yellow was upgraded to a 20-minute red card.
Lucu was replaced in the sin-bin by Grandidier-Nkanang and France freshened up with five replacements, but South Africa reeled off training ground moves to earn a converted try by Cobus Reinach, and looked like it was going to grind down France yet again.
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