France v South Africa LIVE: Latest score and updates as Springboks battle injury-hit hosts in huge Nations Championship clash

France were probably lucky there that Jan-Hendrik Wessels scored. Andrea Piardi had just called an advantage that might have drawn stiffer sanction. South Africa could probably count themselves fortunate after those offsides in the build-up to the Theo Attissogbe score, mind.

It’s just so hard to stop those mauls! It’s a frightening collision as two heavyweight packs pile their weight in initially, but Jan-Hendrik Wessels simply waits and waits at the back as the mass gets-a-rumbling. A nifty pivot as he spies white and he thumps the ball against the try line.

South Africa needed that.

Down the maul comes – that’s been collapsed, too. Francois Cros the man pinged, it seems. South Africa, unsurprisingly, fancy more of the same, kicking again to touch five metres out.

No such luck for France’s under-pressure tighthead this time. Collapsing the call. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu pokes his punt towards the right corner.

The Stade de France turf is tearing up like a cheap carpet under a cat’s claws as the two sides pack down for scrum skirmish. Referee Andrea Piardi resets it – with Sipili Falatea both grateful and, perhaps, fortunate.

South Africa are returned to a full complement, Lood de Jager back from the bin. 14 points in those 10 minutes, and belief is coursing through the Stade de France.

The Springboks have looked shaky in this first half, struggling to hold on to the ball.

Use your head! An unconventional assist from Kalvin Gourgues, with shades of Joe Marler against Japan for England during the 2023 World Cup.

He won’t thank Yoram Moefana for hurling the ball quite so squarely into his schnoz, but it is his try assist nonetheless! Great reactions from Theo Attissogbe, staying alive to dot it down. Maxime Lucu adds the extras.

Three offside penalties in quick succession against South Africa…could a card be coming?

Hang on, what’s happened here? A pass appears to have bounced off the bonce of a Frenchman and then Theo Attissogbe is fasted to react and ground in goal. We’ll have a look upstairs…

South Africa clearly feel there is a vulnerability in the French aerial backfield, as we expected. Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang does very well under pressure from Ethan Hooker to claim a mark.

That’s even better! Lock Florian Verhaeghe’s dextrous hands take a Springboks up-and-under…and Antoine Dupont flips the field with a quite magnificent 50:22. Off his left peg, too! Freak.

A bit of a gift for France after struggling at the first scrum, with Jan-Hendrik Wessels, the South Africa hooker, free kicked for withdrawing his brake foot. Referees have been told to be hot on that this November.

France kick upfield and set the blue wall up beyond halfway.