1968 South Africa rugby union tour of France

Top test point scorer(s)Piet Visagie (42)Top test try scorer(s)Jannie Engelbrecht (5)Summary

P	W	D	L

Total

06	05	00	01

Test match

02	02	00	00

Opponent

P	W	D	L

 France

2	2	0	0

Tour chronologyPrevious tourAustralia and New Zealand 1965Next tourGreat Britain and Ireland 1969–70

The 1968 South Africa rugby union tour of France was a rugby union tour of France by the South Africa national team in October and November 1968.^[1] The tour was South Africa's first sole tour of France, having previously played France on joint-European (Great Britain, Ireland) tours. South Africa's tours of Europe over the previous decades (1906–07, 1912–13, 1931–32, 1951–52, 1960–61, 1965) were extremely successful, holding a win ratio of 88.16%, played across 150 matches.

South Africa won the two-match tour-series 2–0, with both matches being within a five-point margin (20–28 on aggregate). Overall South Africa won five of the six matches on tour.

Background

All of France's three previous victories over South Africa were on South African soil. South Africa's previous match against France on French soil finished 0–0 at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir in the Paris suburb of Colombes. The tour and two-match series held great significance in that, before the match, France was the only team that South Africa had a negative win ratio against (40%). Every other team, including the British Lions, who had only recently toured South Africa months prior, kept South Africa to a neutral win ratio (New Zealand) or a positive one. Furthermore, although one team (France) kept South Africa to a negative win ratio, no team had a positive win ratio against South Africa, the highest being New Zealand with a win ratio of 42.31%.

South African pre-series record against France

Team	Wins	W%
South Africa	4	40
France	3	30
Draws	3	—
Total	10

Fixtures

Match	Date	Venue	Home	Score	Away
1	29 October 1968	Stade Mayol, Toulon, Var	Littoral-Provence	3–24	South Africa
2	2 November 1968	Stade de Gerland, Lyon, Rhône	Selection du Sud-Est	0–3	South Africa
3	5 November 1968	Stade Marcel-Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme	Selection Auvergne-Centre	10–26	South Africa
4	9 November 1968	Parc Lescure, Bordeaux, Gironde	France	9–12	South Africa
5	11 November 1968	Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse, Haute-Garonne	Sud-Ouest XV	11–3	South Africa
6	16 November 1968	Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine	France	11–16	South Africa

Matches

First match

The first match on the Springbok tour was against a combined team from the South-eastern coastal region of France, with the majority of the team playing with Toulon in the French Championship.^[2] South Africa won the match in convincing fashion, scoring six tries to one drop goal.^[1]

Second match

Third match

First test

The fourth match, and first test, of the Springbok tour was against France, played in the south-western city of Bordeaux.^[1] The story of the match was the missed kicks from South African errors.^[3] One try scored by France to three penalty goals kicked via South Africa's Piet Visagie gave the visitors a 3–9 lead at half-time.^[4] However, by full-time, although scoring two late tries to bring themselves back into the match (9–12),^[5] France had failed to kick seven penalty goals, three conversions, and a drop goal.^[3] A total of thirty points.^[3] The final score finished France 9, South Africa 12.^[3]

FB 15 Henri Magois RW 14 Jean-Marie Bonal OC 13 Claude Dourthe IC 12 Jean-Pierre Lux LW 11 Pierre Besson FH 10 Christian Boujet SH 9 Marcel Puget (c) N8 8 Walter Spanghero OF 7 Michel Greffe BF 6 Claude Chenevay RL 5 Élie Cester LL 4 Benoît Dauga TP 3 Jean Iraçabal HK 2 Jean-Paul Baux LP 1 Michel Lasserre Coach: Fernand Cazenave

FB 15 HO de Villiers RW 14 Jannie Engelbrecht OC 13 Mannetjies Roux IC 12 Eben Olivier LW 11 Syd Nomis FH 10 Piet Visagie SH 9 Dawie de Villiers (c) N8 8 Tommy Bedford OF 7 Jan Ellis BF 6 Piet Greyling RL 5 Gawie Carelse LL 4 Frik du Preez TP 3 Hannes Marais HK 2 Gys Pitzer LP 1 Mof Myburgh Coach: Johan Claassen

Fourth match

Second test

The sixth match, and final test, of the Springbok tour saw the South Africans play France again, in the Paris commune of Colombes.^[6][1] Trailing 6–3 at half-time,^[7] the South Africans fought back early in the second half, scoring three tries to one. South Africa won by five points,^[8] and took the series 2–0.^[1]

FB 15 Henri Magois RW 14 Jean-Pierre Lux OC 13 Claude Dourthe IC 12 André Ruiz LW 11 Jean-Marie Bonal FH 10 Lucien Pariès SH 9 Marcel Puget (c) N8 8 Walter Spanghero OF 7 Dominique Bontemps BF 6 Bernard Dutin RL 5 Élie Cester LL 4 Benoît Dauga TP 3 Jean-Michel Esponda HK 2 Jean-Paul Baux LP 1 Michel Lasserre Coach: Fernand Cazenave

FB 15 HO de Villiers RW 14 Jannie Engelbrecht OC 13 Mannetjies Roux IC 12 Eben Olivier LW 11 Syd Nomis FH 10 Piet Visagie SH 9 Dawie de Villiers (c) N8 8 Tommy Bedford OF 7 Jan Ellis BF 6 Piet Greyling RL 5 Gawie Carelse LL 4 Frik du Preez TP 3 Hannes Marais HK 2 Gys Pitzer LP 1 Mof Myburgh Coach: Johan Claassen

References