Springbok assistant coach plays down France "grudge match" ahead of Paris showdown

The Boks return to the scene of their most recent World Cup triumph this weekend, a venue that saw them win three matches in a row by one single point to clinch their fourth Rugby World Cup title.

One of their victims was France in the quarterfinals. The heavyweights featured in a clash for the ages that was truly on a knife-edge throughout, but the hosts were left in tears.

Now two years on, a redemption song could be playing for the French at Stade de France. But Jones doesn't see it that way.

"I don't know [if they are seeing this as a revenge match], to be honest," said Jones.

"I'm not sure how they are talking about it in their camp. That said, it would be hard to deny that they would have some regrets from that game that they would like to make right.

"I wouldn't say any single Test match is bigger than another. We've had some big games this year against New Zealand, and we lost a Test match against Australia at home.

"We also have clashes against Italy, Ireland, and Wales coming up after this, so for us, every match is massive, although I can understand the extra attention this match is receiving after the World Cup quarterfinal in 2023."

The French like to experiment. This year,  coach Fabien Galthie accompanied a largely inexperienced squad to New Zealand and while they lost all three Test, they were highly competitive in a place that's difficult to win.  

This time around, Jones is expecting France to select their first-choice XV.

"They are a huge threat - their entire pack, in general, is tough, and they have several quality players to select from," he continued.

"They've built a lot of depth there in the last few years, so we are expecting this match to be as big a battle as it was against them in 2022 and 2023.

"Fabien Galthie has taken players who are lesser known on tour for their summer series a few times, and that's a great exercise in building depth. But for this game, we are expecting them to select a different side."

READ MORE: As Springbok rematch looms, France admit scars from World Cup heartbreak still linger