The Springboks narrowly lost 30-26 against France on Saturday at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille, and coach Jacques Nienaber praised his side for the effort they put in under difficult circumstances. 

France are on an unprecedented winning streak, winning 12 games in a row; in that winning run they have beaten every tier-one nation, thus making them heavy favourites to win the World Cup. After their Test against the Boks, they will have some doubts about their credentials as Nienaber's men had their number for most of the game. 

The best of the Springboks usually comes when their backs are against the wall. France thought they had the Boks where they wanted them when they were down to 14 men after Pieter-Steph du Toit received a red card in the 12th minute and led on the scoreboard 13-0. 

However, they awakened a sleeping giant, and the Boks took the game to France. They adopted a running game that the French did not expect, playing at high intensity. The Boks used their sheer physical strength to dominate the match, and their defence system was operating well.

Captain Siya Kolisi was colossal, he put on a classic captain’s performance, he got a try from a spinning driving maul, and the other try came from wing Kurt-Lee Arendse. Deputy skipper Eben Etzebeth was a man of a mountain on the day, and the big Les Bleus forwards could not deal with him. 

The kicking crisis that haunted the Boks against Ireland looked like a thing of the past. Cheslin Kolbe and Faf de Klerk slotted in two penalties each and Damian Willemse also added one. They kicked well from difficult angles with the pressure from the crowd. 

The loss to France was a good one, it showed Nienaber that his side still has the character and mettle of world champions. 

“It hurts a lot because the players showed a lot of attitude and put in a great effort and we certainly can’t fault that,” said Nienaber.

“The effort the players delivered was extraordinary, and in the end goal kicks proved to be the difference on the scoreboard," he said.