France vs South Africa LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as Les Bleus snatch thrilling win from remarkable Test
France 30-26 South Africa: Les Bleus snatched victory as both teams had a man sent off in an incredible Test match
France extended their impressive winning run to 12 games as they tamed South Africa 30-26 at the Stade Velodrome after a nail-biting contest.
Les Bleus had scrum-half Antoine Dupont sent off in the second half after the world champions were also reduced to 14 men following Pieter-Steph du Toit’s early exclusion.
But a strong finish, with a late try by forward Sipili Falatea and a last-gasp penalty by Thomas Ramos, earned Fabien Galthie’s side another win a week after they edged out Australia 30-29 in Paris.
South Africa were always close thanks to penalties by Cheslin Kolbe, as well as tries from Siya Kolisi and Kurt-Lee Arendse, but France were just a cut above, less than a year before they host the World Cup.
Relive all the action from France vs South Africa with our live blog below:
KICK OFF!
Teti Tela drops ball to floor and brings his right boot through it - we are underway in Dublin!
Cibi
Ireland face up to the Fijian pre-match challenge.
Right, kick-off imminent - will Ireland make it two wins from two?
Anthems
Fiji produces a typically emotional version of “Meda Dau Doka“, some eyes shut, foreheads to the heavens.
Ireland’s two anthems get the crowd going, the Aviva not perhaps in the voice it was for the visit of South Africa last week, but certainly up for the challenge. Captain Tadhg Furlong roars out the final notes at the end of the Irish line.
Ireland vs Fiji
Michael D Higgins is out on the Aviva Stadium turf, glad-handing with the two sides and match officials. Mathieu Raynal, he of the controversial call at the end of the Australia-New Zealand game during the summer, takes the whistle today after a late switch of referee having originally not been due to oversee a major fixture during this autumn.
But Jaco Peyper’s injury has opened the door; Chris Hart will assist from the TMO chair where required.
Ireland vs Fiji
Right, this could be fascinating. Can this changed Ireland team show the same sort of cohesion that usually defines Andy Farrell’s side?
Vern Cotter stirs the pot
Some wonderful pot stirring from Vern Cotter this week, with the Fiji coach claiming that Ireland would be using this game simply as a “training session” and were “barely looking at” Fiji with attention already on next week’s encounter against Australia.
Simon Easterby, Ireland’s defence coach, did not agree with that assessment, dismissing any suggestion that his side had overlooked the challenge facing them this afternoon.
"We’ve certainly invested plenty of time into understanding the threats they’ll pose, the opportunities that might present themselves if we play a certain way," said Easterby yesterday. "Believe me we’ve worked hard on making sure that these guys are prepped in the right way, as they would be for any international."
Captain Tadhg
It will be a proud afternoon for Tadhg Furlong, the tighthead captaining a side at senior level for the first time. Furlong, who celebrates his 30th birthday on Monday, has overcome an ankle injury to start and admits it is an honour of which he “never dreamed”.
“I never even thought of it,” said the 29-year-old. “You know when you dream as a young fella, you want to play for Ireland, you want to play for Leinster, you want to play for the Lions – I never even dreamed of captaining Ireland.”
Tadhg Furlong ‘never even dreamed’ of being Ireland captain
Leinster’s Furlong, who has 61 caps, has not captained a side since his days with Ireland Under-18s
Team News - Fiji
Vilimoni Botitu drops out through injury, though Teti Tela may have started at fly-half anyway, with Ben Volavola back amongst things on the bench to give Cotter the option of a second specialist ten in the squad. Kini Murimurivalu is another absentee, with Setareki Tuicuvu shifting to full back and Jiuta Wainiqolo, one of many of this squad to have translated their sevens skills successfully to the French Top 14, worth watching on the right wing.
Adrea Cocagi is in line for a debut in the backs from the bench.
“We want to give everybody a try during these three test matches. There is an opportunity for everybody to play and grow,” said head coach Vern Cotter.
“We will have to step up against Ireland. There is three main access we are working on; we want to work on how we carry the ball and clean the ball so have to provide a fastball, we want to improve our defence and we want to be on top of our game in our set piece.
Fiji XV: E Mawi, S Matavesi, M Saulo; I Nasilasila, RL Rotuisolia; A Tuisue, L Botia, V Mata; F Lomani, T Tela; V Habosi, K Ravouvou, Waisea N (capt.), J Wainiqolo; S Tuicuvu.
Replacements: M Dolokoto, L Natave, L-R Atalifo, A Ratuniyarawa, J Dyer; S Kuruvoli, B Volavola, A Cocagi.
Team News - Ireland
As expected, Andy Farrell does make a number of changes to the Ireland side that survived South Africa last weekend – though not, perhaps, as many as some predicted. Farrell said this week that a few of his fringe squad members had cost themselves an appearance by failing to impress for Ireland A against an All Blacks XV last week.
"People don’t just get a Test match when they’re not performing at their best," said the Ireland coach. "There is definitely an element of that."
There are still a handful of new faces, though: loosehead Jeremy Loughman makes his debut opposite captain Tadhg Furlong in the front row, while rangy forward Cian Prendergast and talented Munster playmaker Jack Crowley could do likewise from the bench. Jimmy O’Brien, so impressive on his first cap in the centres last week, begins at full back.
Ireland XV: J Loughman, R Herring, T Furlong (capt.); T Beirne, J Ryan; C Doris, N Timoney, J Conan; J Gibson-Park, J Carbery; M Hansen, S McCloskey, R Henshaw; R Baloucoune; J O’Brien.
Replacements: D Sheehan, C Healy, T O’Toole, C Prendergast, M Deegan, C Casey, J Crowley, G Ringrose.
Ireland vs Fiji
Right, on to this packed afternoon slate, and Ireland vs Fiji. Fiji showed some very, very good things in the first half against Scotland last week but this is a step up in standard, even if this is a rotated Irish side.
Let’s have a look at those two 23s...
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