The Rugby World Cup is now over for France. The hosts of the competition were eliminated from the competition in the quarterfinal round after falling to the defending champions South Africa 28–29 at Stade de France.
Les Bleus, who were competing in front of more than 79,450 spectators, took the lead when prop Cyril Baille crashed over barely three minutes in, but the Springboks never quit fighting.
With less than 10 minutes remaining, a Handre Pollard penalty made it a one-point contest in favor of the Springboks. It was tight, exhilarating, chaotic, and amazing.
Les Bleus made a few significant inroads into the South African 22 but ultimately their efforts were in vain as they suffered a devastating loss at home.
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- Thomas Ramos – 6.5
Thomas Ramos, a fullback, failed to make a single tackle and gave up two penalties. However, the sharpshooter was able to strike the mark with the most of his goal kicks as France played rugby for all time. But like several of his teammates, Ramos occasionally appeared to vanish, and that backfired when the Springboks were in need.
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- Damian Penaud – 6
Damian Penaud’s record of tries in a single Rugby World Cup will not be broken during this competition. In what was undoubtedly his quietest night at the World Cup, Penaud failed to cross the try line and, in reality, barely came close. Although the wing appeared dangerous with the ball, neither Penaud nor France were able to have their ideal Test.
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- Gael Fickou – 5.5
Centre Gael Fickou had a few great moments against a blazing Springboks team, but they were just that: moments.Fickou recorded a 50-meter race, but the midfielder had far too many chances to score. That’s a cost you just cannot bear when going up against a World Cup-winning team like Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel.
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- Jonathan Danty – 5.
When he had the ball, Jonathan Danty appeared dangerous, but the center couldn’t capitalize on the troubles he brought on. Danty carried the ball an average of less than one metre, even on a few occasions when the midfielder outran five defenders.
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- Louis Bielle-Biarrey – 4
The life of a winger can occasionally be thrilling, sensational, and fulfilling, and other times it can be the complete opposite. There isn’t much a player can do if the ball doesn’t get to their wing, and that describes Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s first half. During the first three minutes, the speedster only raced the ball once for one metre before making an ineffectual clearance kick with his subsequent touch.
Although Bielle-Biarrey received the ball more frequently in the second term, it wasn’t very noteworthy. For the left wing, it was a difficult evening.
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- Matthieu Jalibert – 7
Fly-half Matthieu Jalibert took a backseat during a frenetic first half as halfback Antoine Dupont returned to the halves. Early on, Jalibert managed to catch a deft Dupont chip kick, but that was his only significant contribution for the remainder of the half.
After the interval, however, Jalibert played better, evading some opponents and finding Charles Ollivon for a protracted break. As France gained control of the Test, things for the pivot kept getting better. He may have received a rating between 6.5 and 7.5.
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- Antoine Dupont – 8
Antoine Dupont, the current World Rugby Player of the Year, returned to the blue on Sunday night, just three weeks after fracturing his cheekbone and undergoing surgery. Dupont, who was wearing a black and white headgear, didn’t miss a beat when playing the reigning Rugby World Cup champions.
Dupont appeared composed and collected when he was back in the test area. The halfback kicked the ball well, but his quick and shrewd passing ability really stood out. Midway through the first half, Dupont sent teammate Peato Mauvaka over for a try and was also devastating on the ground.
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- Cyril Baille – 7
Numerous spectators clapped as Cyril Baille was replaced in the 50th minute and received a well-deserved standing ovation from the front-rower. In just the fourth minute of the Test, Baille scored the game’s opening try. About 25 minutes later, he added another try to cap the half’s scoring. However, there were some bumps in the road, including the loosehead’s scrum penalty just before halftime.
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- Peato Mauvaka – 8.5
Hooker Peato Mauvaka was unquestionably one of France’s top players on the evening, along with captain Antoine Dupont. From roughly 11 throws, Mauvaka executed the set-piece perfectly. He also ran the ball purposefully and scored a try. Mauvaka eventually completed with a remarkable 77 running meters from 13 carries, two line breaks, and five defenders he outran.
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- Uini Atonio – 5
Against the Springboks, prop Uini Atonio had an uncharacteristically quiet night. Baille, Mauvaka, and other front-row players found their groove, but Atonio, who was born in New Zealand, appeared to disappear for protracted stretches of time. The French enforcer carried the ball an average distance of roughly one metre and attempted three tackles, only to miss one. During the first term, South Africa also had complete control of the scrum fight.
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- Cameron Woki – 7.5
It appears that one man—Cameron Woki—is responsible for either the success or failure of France’s lineout. Following up on a comparable performance last week against the Italians in Lyon, Woki was the go-to man at the set-piece on eight different times.
Woki played strong defense, making all four of his attempted tackles, and worked hard to gain valuable yards. However, what stood out most about Woki was his effort rate, as he seemed to be involved in just about everything.
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- Thibaud Flament – 6
Thibaud Flament had a hit-and-miss evening; while he was excellent in defense, he struggled offensively. In the first half, Flament only ran the ball once, and during his 10 minutes on the field in the second half, nothing changed.
However, Flament played well on the defensive end, completing all eight of his tackle attempts. When he was replaced in the 50th minute, the second-rower had participated in the most tackles of any French player.
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- Anthony Jelonch – 7
Early in the second half, blindside flanker Anthony Jelonch left the field to a thunderous ovation from the Parisian crowd. The fans at Stade de France had definitely noticed how hard Jelonch had worked and praised his efforts.
When Jelonch left the field, he had carried the ball ten times for a distance of 17 meters, outrun one defender, and made a strong impression on the defensive end of the field with seven successful tackles out of nine attempts.
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- Charles Ollivon – 7
Charles Ollivon, a flanker, served as the backup option behind lock Cameron Woki in the lineout while the backrower was twice targeted at the set-piece. Ollivon put in a lot of effort on the other side of the field as well, gaining more than 50 meters on 12 carries and holding his own in defense with nine tackles on 10 attempts.
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- Gregory Alldritt – 7.5
Gregory Alldritt, a world-class No. 8 who left the field with just over 10 minutes remaining when the Test was still in doubt. Against a strong French team, Alldritt ad worked really hard. The backrower successfully completed all nine of his tackle attempts and carried the ball more than 40 meters on 13 occasions while dodging two defenders.
Replacements:
- Pierre Bourgarit – 5
- Reda Wardi – 6.5
- Dorian Aldegheri – 5.5
- Romain Taofifenua – 5.5
- Francois Cros – 6.5
- Sekou Macalou – 5.5
- Maxime Lucu – N/A
- Yoram Moefana – N/A
