Rassie Erasmus praises Siya Kolisi for putting the team first

South Africa was forced to play the entire second half with just 14 players after De Jager was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle shortly before halftime.

However, they dug deep and secured a hard-fought 32-17 win over France at Stade de France, their biggest win over the French in Paris since 1997.

Kolisi was playing in his 100th Test for South Africa, making him the ninth Springbok centurion in history, while Erasmus guided the team in his 50th Test as head coach.

The red card to De Jager forced Erasmus into some outside-of-the-box thinking, resulting in Nortje being brought on for Kolisi because of Andre Esterhuizen's ability to contribute to both the backline and as a loose forward.

"It was probably close to midnight at home (when the final whistle sounded), so thank you to the people who stayed up and watched the game - we play for them and for South Africa," said Erasmus.

"I also want to say thank you to our captain, who was taken off because Andre (Esterhuizen) can play loose forward and centre, which was a tough call. But when I told him, he just took it on the chin and understood.

"Boan (Venter) also came off early in the match because he has to get used to the intensity of these matches, although I thought he went really well.

"I think the guys who started probably softened up the opposition, and then the bench could go and finish it. Even when Manie (Libbok) came on and Sasha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu) went to fullback, I thought everybody had a good impact.

"That comes from the players understanding that it's a 23-man effort, and the coaches made good plans, which made it easier for the players who came on from the bench."

Asked what he said to the team at halftime after losing De Jager for the rest of the match, Erasmus said: "I can take very little credit for what was said at halftime because all the coaches of the different departments did most of the talking and made plans.

"A lot of people said the players are getting older, but they are wiser. We desperately wanted to win this game. Playing here (in France) is tough, but fortunately, we experienced it in 2022 and 2023, so the experience of the players, and both the team and the assistant coaches made plans."

Kolisi was very grateful to celebrate his 100th cap with a victory and thanked his family and friends, as well as his teammates, for making the occasion memorable.

"A lot of my family were here and people who've helped me along the way, and I'm very grateful for that," said Kolisi.

"That said, my focus was on the game because we knew how much they wanted to win this match.

"I must give credit to the team, they really played well, and I'm proud of them and our coaching staff for making plans and not panicking. That's what makes this team special.

"On a day like today, having to leave the field was a fitting example of putting the team first. When coach Rassie came to ask me, it was a case of putting the emotion aside because the team comes first, and I applaud them for the way they fought."

Kolisi also had a few special words for his coach, saying: "Today was his 50th game as head coach, and he never made it about him this week. It was all about the team.

"So, thank you, Coach, for all that you do for us. You have no idea what you've done, not just in rugby terms, but in the mindset in which we see each other and our country.

"When you speak, we take so much from you, so thank you for all that you do. We really appreciate it."

READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp pays glowing tribute to friend Siya Kolisi as Bok skipper marks 100 caps