France ended South Africa’s unbeaten run in the Nations Championship with a narrow 21-19 win at the Stade de France on Friday. The victory gave Les Bleus their fourth win from five pool matches and extended their lead in the northern hemisphere standings to six points with one game remaining.
South Africa entered the match as world champions with a perfect record but fell just short against a determined French side. The result leaves South Africa top of the southern hemisphere standings, but their position is under threat. New Zealand can overtake them if the All Blacks defeat Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
In the northern pool, England currently sit second on points difference after a commanding 45-22 win over Australia last weekend. Steve Borthwick’s team will look to close the gap to France when they face Japan at Allianz Stadium on Saturday. Ireland, after a 42-12 victory over Argentina, are third and host Fiji in Dublin on the same day.
Scotland, who suffered a heavy 43-21 defeat to New Zealand last week, have recorded two wins and two losses so far. They face Australia at Murrayfield on Sunday. Wales, meanwhile, sit fifth despite a 28-21 home win over Japan.
France are favourites to secure a place in the inaugural Nations Championship final when they take on Argentina in their last pool match on 21 November. The finals weekend will take place from 27 to 29 November at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham. It will feature all six play-off matches, culminating in the title decider.
The Nations Championship pits northern hemisphere teams from the Six Nations against southern hemisphere sides including South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, and invited teams Fiji and Japan. Each team plays six matches against the opposite hemisphere’s nations, with rankings determined within their hemisphere.
The final weekend involves play-offs between teams ranked equivalently across hemispheres, with the top two sides contesting the championship title. Each victory during the finals weekend contributes points to a Ryder Cup–style hemisphere competition, with the first side to reach four points winning the hemisphere title.
France’s win over South Africa was the latest in a series of November fixtures. Earlier results this month included Ireland’s 42-12 win against Argentina on 6 November, and Wales’ 28-21 victory over Japan on 7 November. On 8 November, England beat Australia 45-22, and France defeated Fiji 54-17.
Last summer’s results showed tight contests, with New Zealand narrowly beating France 34-32 on 6 July and South Africa defeating England 45-21 three days later. South Africa also recorded a 43-0 win over Wales on 18 July.
With just one pool match remaining before the finals, the standings remain competitive. France’s six-point northern lead places them in a strong position, but England and Ireland have matches left to influence the race. The southern hemisphere ranking could shift if New Zealand beats Wales, potentially pushing South Africa down to second.
Saturday’s fixtures include Italy versus Argentina, Wales against New Zealand, England facing Japan, and Ireland hosting Fiji. Scotland will conclude the weekend by playing Australia on Sunday.
The Nations Championship will reach its climax at Twickenham, with the final match between the top-ranked northern and southern hemisphere teams scheduled for 29 November at 16:40 GMT. This weekend’s results will heavily influence which sides reach that stage.
According to Yahoo Sports.
