# 1968 South Africa rugby union tour of France

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. 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%.

## 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. South Africa won the match in convincing fashion, scoring six tries to one drop goal.
* 28 October 1968
| Litorral-Provence | 3–24 | South Africa |
| Drop: Laborde (1) | | Try: Engelbrecht (4) Olivier Visagie Con: H. de Villiers (3/6) |
* Stade Mayol, Toulon Referee: M. Lebecq (Limousin)

### Second match

* 2 November 1968
| Selection du Sud-Est | 0–3 | South Africa |
| | | Pen: Naudé (1) |
* Stade de Gerland, Lyon Referee: M. K.M. Jones (Wales)

### Third match

* 5 November 1968
| Selection Auvergne-Centre | 10–26 | South Africa |
| | | Try: Roux Ellis Con: Visagie (1/2) Pen: Visagie (5) Drop: Visagie (1/1) |
* Stade Marcel-Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand Referee: M. Tyler (England)

### First test

The fourth match, and first test, of the Springbok tour was against France, played in the south-western city of Bordeaux. The story of the match was the missed kicks from South African errors. 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. However, by full-time, although scoring two late tries to bring themselves back into the match (9–12), France had failed to kick seven penalty goals, three conversions, and a drop goal. A total of thirty points. The final score finished France 9, South Africa 12.
* 9 November 1968
| France | 9–12 | South Africa |
| Try: Bonal 74' m Dauga (2) ?', 75' m | Report | Pen: Visagie (4/5) Drop: Visagie (0/1) |
* Parc Lescure, Bordeaux Attendance: 12,516 Referee: Larry Lamb (England)
| 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

* 11 November 1968
| Sud-Ouest XV | 11–3 | South Africa |
| Try: Dargelès (1) Con: Michael (1) Pen: Michael (1) Drop: Pariès | | Try: Carelse |
* Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse Referee: M. Birell (Scotland)

### 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. Trailing 6–3 at half-time, the South Africans fought back early in the second half, scoring three tries to one. South Africa won by five points, and took the series 2–0.
* 16 November 1968
| France | 11–16 | South Africa |
| Try: Cester (1) Con: Pariès (1) Drop: Pariès (1) Puget (1) | Report | Try: D. de Villiers Engelbrecht Nomis Con: Visagie (2/3) Pen: Visagie (1) |
* Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Paddy d'Arcy (Ireland)
| 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 ||||