France v South Africa kicks off at 22:10 SAST on Friday 13 November 2026 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, in round five of the Nations Championship. It is the second of the Springboks’ three November Tests in Europe, after the 66-7 win over Italy in Turin and before Ireland in Dublin on 21 November. South Africa have won 29 of the 47 Tests between the sides, France 12, with six drawn, and the Springboks have won their last five Tests against France in Paris.
Springboks vs France kick-off time and venue
The kick-off agrees on three sources: SA Rugby’s match centre lists 20:10 GMT, RugbyPass gives 22:10 SAST and NOW in SA gives 22:10 SAST, 21:10 in France.
| Detail | France v South Africa |
|---|---|
| Date | Friday 13 November 2026 |
| Kick-off in South Africa | 22:10 SAST |
| Kick-off in France | 21:10 CET |
| Kick-off in the UK | 20:10 GMT |
| Venue | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris |
| Competition | Nations Championship, round 5 |
| Referee | Andrea Piardi (Italy) |
| Broadcaster listed in South Africa | SuperSport |
The full November schedule, with every 2026 Springbok result, is on our Springbok fixtures hub.
Springbok team to face France
Rassie Erasmus named his team on Monday 9 November with two changes from the 23 that beat Italy, as reported by NOW in SA. Wilco Louw starts at tighthead with Thomas du Toit moving to the bench, and Cobus Reinach replaces Grant Williams among the replacements. Eben Etzebeth rejoined the squad in France on Monday but is not in the 23.
| Unit | Players |
|---|---|
| Back three | 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 11 Ethan Hooker |
| Centres | 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende |
| Half-backs | 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morne van den Berg |
| Loose forwards | 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain) |
| Locks | 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Lood de Jager |
| Front row | 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche |
| Replacements | 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Paul de Villiers, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Manie Libbok |
The same report says sixteen of the 23 played in last year’s 32-17 win over France in Paris, and ten played in the 29-28 Rugby World Cup quarter-final at this stadium in 2023. Team sheets can change before kick-off, so check the final 23 on the day.
France team news
France had not named a matchday 23 in the sources we checked. NOW in SA reports that fly-half Romain Ntamack is out for the rest of the competition with a shoulder injury, that Matthieu Jalibert and Thomas Ramos are also unavailable, and that Fabien Galthie has recalled Gael Fickou and Teddy Thomas. A second preview confirms Ntamack went off against Fiji and that France are short of options at fly-half.
Springboks vs France head-to-head: 47 Tests
The overall record is from SA Rugby Stats. It fits Wikipedia’s history of the fixture, which numbers the 2023 World Cup quarter-final as Test 46, with the 2025 Test in Paris making 47.
| Measure | Record |
|---|---|
| Tests played | 47 |
| South Africa wins | 29 |
| France wins | 12 |
| Draws | 6 |
| First meeting | 11 January 1913, Bordeaux: South Africa won 38-5 |
| Most recent meeting | 8 November 2025, Paris: South Africa won 32-17 |
| 2023 World Cup quarter-final | 15 October 2023, Stade de France: South Africa won 29-28 |
| South Africa’s current run in Paris | Five wins in a row, starting with 19-10 in 2013 |
| France’s last win over South Africa in Paris | 2005 |
Our own arithmetic from that record: South Africa have won 62 percent of the 47 Tests and France 26 percent. The Paris run needs a caution, though. SA Rugby Stats notes that before last year’s 15-point win, the widest margin in those Paris victories was nine points, and one of them was the one-point World Cup quarter-final. Tests between these two in Paris have usually been close.
How the two sides arrive
South Africa have won 8 of their 10 Tests in 2026 and all four of their Nations Championship games, and SA Rugby’s match centre shows them on 20 points from four. France have won three of their four games in the competition on the same listing. The Springboks’ two defeats this year came against New Zealand at Ellis Park and Australia in Perth, and the full list is on the Springboks hub.
Why there is no Springboks vs France pick
We publish a confidence figure only in sports we grade in public after every result, and rugby is not one of them yet. Our graded record covers football and a small number of other sports, losses included, and it sits on our homepage. When rugby joins it, rugby picks will sit on the same log, win or lose. Until then this page is the fixture, the team and the numbers, and our rugby betting guide explains how the markets work.
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Read next
- Springbok fixtures 2026: Ireland next and every result so far
- Springboks vs Italy result: South Africa won 66-7 in Turin
- URC log and fixtures: the South African franchises this season
- Rugby betting guide: markets and how they work
- Licensed South African betting sites, reviewed
- Our full graded pick log, wins and losses
- Responsible gambling and where to get help
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