France v Springboks: Tale of the Tape

Hosts France will face defending champions South Africa in the last of the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final matches on Sunday night.The encounter at Stade de France in Paris, one of four mouthwatering play-off encounters, will be the 46th time the two countries meet on the international stage.Of the previous 45 Tests, the Springboks won 27, Les Bleus 12 and six ended in a draw.The two teams have never met on neutral soil.On home soil, France has won just six of their 21 encounters, including a 30-26 win at Stade Vélodrome in Marseille last November. One of those matches was a draw, with 14 Bok wins.That was the only win in the last five encounters for France.In the 24 encounters on South African soil, the Boks had 13 wins, France six and five matches ended in a draw.Looking at the two teams’ more recent form – at the World Cup – Les Bleus seem to have an edge.France scored 27 tries in their four pool matches, almost seven tries a match.The Boks scored 22 tries, just more than five a match.However, the most significant difference is in the goal-kicking department.France kicked 23 of their 27 conversions.The Boks managed a paltry 15 from 22 – which included seven from seven against Tonga.Keep them guessingThe news that the Springboks will only name their side for Sunday’s crunch quarterfinal against France on Friday morning only means that they will continue to keep the tournament hosts guessing.The Boks have made it a habit of naming their side early in the week, usually on a Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the day of the game, and usually have no qualms with naming a side four days before the clash.While traditionally coaches are circumspect in naming sides ahead of time, and most decide to try and keep the opposition guessing by naming it as late as allowed by tournament officials, the Boks have never seen this as an obstacle.– Rugby365 / SuperSport

France v Springboks: Tale of the Tape

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