Rassie hails Siya and Boks for taking tough replacement calls on the chin against France

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has praised his players for holding their nerve after a dubious red card to Lood de Jager left them playing the second half of their match at the Stade de France with 14 men.

The Boks did not panic. Instead, they delivered a composed performance to stun the French 32-17 in a statement win that consolidated South Africa’s position at the top of the World Rugby rankings.

The Boks had to dig deep and scored three tries in the final 20 minutes to register their biggest victory over the French in Paris since 1997.

Captain Siya Kolisi played in his 100th Test, but the red card resulted in him being replaced at halftime in his milestone match.

“It was probably close to midnight at home (when the final whistle sounded), so thank you to the people who stayed up and watched the game – we play for them and for South Africa,” said Erasmus.

“I also want to say thank you to our captain, who was taken off because André (Esterhuizen) can play loose forward and centre, which was a tough call. But when I told him, he just took it on the chin and understood. Boan (Venter) also came off early in the match because he has to get used to the intensity of these matches, although I thought he went really well.

“I think the guys who started probably softened up the opposition, and then the bench could go and finish it. Even when Manie (Libbok) came on and Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu) went to fullback, I thought everybody had a good impact.

“That comes from the players understanding that it's a 23-man effort, and the coaches made good plans, which made it easier for the players who came on from the bench.”

Asked what he said to the team at halftime after losing De Jager for the rest of the match, Erasmus said: “I cannot take much credit for what was said at halftime, as the coaches from the different departments did most of the talking and made plans.

“A lot of people have said the players are getting older, but that means they are getting wiser. We desperately wanted to win this game. Playing here (in France) is tough, but fortunately, we experienced it in 2022 and 2023, so both the players and the assistant coaches had the knowledge to make plans.”

Kolisi was very grateful to celebrate his 100th cap with a victory and thanked his family and friends, as well as his teammates, for making the occasion memorable.

“A lot of my family were here and people who've helped me along the way, and I’m very grateful for that,” said Kolisi.

“That said, my focus was on the game because we knew how much they wanted to win this match.

“I must give credit to the team; they really played well, and I’m proud of them and our coaching staff for making plans and not panicking. That’s what makes this team special.

“On a day like today, having to leave the field was a fitting example of putting the team first. When coach Rassie came to ask me, it was a case of putting the emotion aside because the team comes first, and I applaud them for the way they fought.”

Kolisi also had special words for his coach, saying: “Today was coach Rassie’s 50th game as head coach, and he never made it about him this week. It was all about the team. So, thank you, coach, for all that you do for us. You have no idea what you've done, not just in rugby terms, but in the mindset in which we see each other and our country.

“When you speak, we take so much from you, so thank you for all that you do. We really appreciate it.”