‘France face uncompromising physical battle’

Forwards coach William Servat has promised that the French pack will not back down against the Springboks on Friday night.

When speaking to the media, Servat made no attempt to hide his respect for the Boks, who have won nine of the past 10 meetings between the sides, including the last five at the Stade de France.

“That scrum embodies the South African mentality, with excellent organisation and tremendous cohesion,” he said.

“Over the past two or three years, I wouldn’t quite say they’ve dominated world rugby completely, but they haven’t been far off.

“The South Africans work towards that, and you have to acknowledge that they’re succeeding.”

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Servat says Les Bleus have “weapons” in their arsenal to counter the Bok threat.

When [hooker] Julien Marchand returns, when [prop] Jean-Baptiste Gros and [hooker] Peato Mauvaka are available, when [prop] Sipili Falatea produces an encouraging performance like he did [against Fiji] last week … We know we have players capable of competing with them.

“One thing is certain: as we prepare for this match, we know we’re going to face an uncompromising physical battle against players who will give absolutely everything.

“There won’t be any uncontested scrums. There won’t be teams trying to cheat at the engagement. Both teams will want a fair, honest contest and will try to impose their physical strength.

“Whatever the outcome, I think that’s a pretty exciting battle to be part of …”

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Servat also spoke about the possible return of No 8 Grégory Alldritt, a year after his last cap, and the lift that his leadership could give France.

“Before talking about his technical abilities, Grégory is someone who carries a lot of weight within the squad. His voice matters. With his experience, he can bring those around him along with him. He’s a leader in the dressing room.

“When you have someone like Grégory Alldritt, with all the intensity he brings, or Julien Marchand, who could also return, you realise how fortunate we are.

“The extra spirit, hunger and desire they bring can move mountains. And on Friday, we’re going to face one …”

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Photo: Harry Murphy/Getty Images