Unlucky for Noves with defeat number 13 at helm of France

France coach Guy Noves’s job is under pressure after his side lost narrowly to South Africa in yet another mediocre performance at the Stade de France.

A week after a 38-18 defeat against New Zealand, France failed to dominate a South Africa side who were comprehensively beaten by Ireland last Saturday and lost their sixth successive game to the Springboks. South Africa scored two tries through Dillyn Leyds and Jesse Kriel, with Handre Pollard, who missed four kicks, adding eight points with his boot.

Fly-half Anthony Belleau scored a try, a penalty and two conversions while Baptiste Serin added a late try for the home side.

France’s most successful club coach with four European Cups and nine national titles with Toulouse, Noves has lost 13 of his 20 games in charge of Les Bleus since taking over after the 2015 World Cup. France next take on Japan at the brand new U-Arena in Nanterre, on the outskirts of Paris, on Saturday.

A few days after France won the right to host the 2023 World Cup at the expense of South Africa and Ireland, Les Bleus looked hardly like a team able to lift the trophy in 2019. France got off to a dominant start but fluffed a good try chance early on, while South Africa touched down at the end of their first foray into the French half when Leyds dived over for his first try with the Springboks. Pollard added a penalty midway through the first half.

Les Bleus responded through Belleau, who sold the defence a dummy before touching down between the posts and adding the extras.

South Africa were then penalised for offside but Belleau missed the 45-yard penalty as the visitors stayed ahead.

Pollard missed two consecutive penalties as France stayed in the hunt. Early in the second half, France dominated and were rewarded when Belleau’s penalty gave them the lead.

Pollard missed yet another routine penalty but finally slotted one home to put South Africa ahead again with just over 20 minutes left. Kriel scored South Africa’s second try at the end of a long dominant spell.

The stadium went almost silent and France never seemed able to turn the situation around. They were vocal again when substitute scrum-half Serin touched down after fine work by the French forwards and Belleau converted to reduce the deficit to one point three minutes before the end, but South Africa did a good job of keeping the ball in the closing stages to snatch a deserved victory.