France extended their 12-year unbeaten run against South Africa on French soil when they recorded a hard-fought 20-13 win at Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, on Friday.

With the teams scoring one try each, the boots of scrumhalves Julien Dupuy (four penalties) and Morgan Parra (one penalty) made the difference against the Boks that had two players yellow carded for professional fouls.

It is South Africa's second defeat on their year-end tour - after also going down to Leicester Tigers in the opener last week Friday.

France won it all, From the anthems to the final whistle, France won.

They won the wind, the nervous energy, the tactics, the scrums, the line-outs, the tackle, the behaviour, the calm, the penalty count. They won so much that if the winning margin had been three times what it was in their favour it would not have been unfair.

It started all wrong for the Springboks. First there was the weirdest rendition of the national anthem possible. It was impossible to sing it with what looked like some street musicians singing off-key. It would almost have worked as a parody. It was a disgrace. Then came the Marseillaise sung with passion and vigour. What a difference!

Then the Springboks chose to play with the wind, which freshened, and they did not use it well, not nearly as well as the French did.

Then came the start. The French were full of manly vigour. The Springboks seemed nervous and jittery. At no time in the game did they settle into calm control of themselves and of the game.

They lost the tackle, often through their own fault and the French revelled in the gift of ball. Ryan Kankowski lost the ball several times for no good reason, and had it not been for the zeal and strength of Heinrich Brüssow the tackles would have been a disaster to the Springboks. They were also outdone at tackling.

France's tackling was sure while several times the Springboks fell off tackles and it was only their scrambling defence that kept France out as they camped in Springbok territory in the second half. The Springboks lost the scrums, penalised three times at scrums. They lost four of their own throws in the line-out, one five metres from the French line at a time when the score was just 14-13.

They lost the calm, earning two yellow cards, their first of 2009, and they were smashed in the penalty count. This team which had enjoyed the edge in penalties for and against in their six Tri-Nations matches lost the penalty count this time all right - 14-5. That's a huge difference.

Each side scored a try, but there was a great difference in the way they were scored. The Springboks try was a grace-and-favour thing when the French overthrew a line-out five metres from their line. By contrast the French try was a sweeping attack (off a Kankowski knock-on) and they countered, left and then right, with speed of foot and hand to send Vincent Clerc over in the corner.

They were close again in the match, as the Springboks were only once - at the lost line-out. In fact the Springboks did not score at all in the second half, as even Morné Steyn missed a penalty kick at goal.

France missed three penalty kicks at goal, one perhaps the easiest penalty you have ever seen missed on an international field. That was when Kankowski was penalised at a tackle a metre or so from the Springbok line and just to the left of their posts as the French looked at them. Morgan Parra missed.

Was this a performance of a tired team? Quite possibly. They had been warned that this could happen. Was this the fault of the excitement of late travel to Toulouse which had put their minds on other things? Quite possibly.

But of one thing be certain - the French were the better side and deserved to win. And so the Springboks' last win on French soil was 12 years ago. France can certainly play rugby. They can do everything rugby players need to do - play with mind, heart, sinew, skill and courage.

Damien Traille kicked off into the wind and France attacked as Louis Picamoles bumped off Schalk Burger and François Trinh-Duc bounced off Adrian Jacobs. The second penalty of the match was against John Smit at a tackle and Julien Dupuy goaled. 3-0 after five minutes.

There had been collisions enough thus early in the game to have both Springbok locks, Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield, bleeding from the head. Botha had to go off twice for repairs.

But the Springboks settled into a maul, their most successful tactic, and seemed to be calming down. Imanol Harinordoquy was penalised for foul play and Steyn goaled. 3-all after 19 minutes.

Burger counterattacked from a knock-on by Yann David and suddenly the Springboks came to life. That came to nought when Smit kicked dead but the Springboks came back with a sharp attack and then passed back to Steyn who dropped a goal. 6-3 after 24 minutes.

Zane Kirchner, who had a fine match, grubbered down the touchline on his left. Bryan Habana chased and was just ahead of Clerc when the ball went into touch. William Servat threw beyond Harinordoquy and into the arms of Smit at the back of the line-out and he powered through Dupuy to score. Steyn converted. The Springboks led 13-3 after 29 minutes. Things were looking good for the men who had won so much in 2009.

France kicked an up-and-under. Harinordoquy chased and Kankowski knocked on a long way. France grabbed the chance and attacked down the left and then went right. David shrugged off Burger and was close but Trinh-Duc flicked a perfect pass to Clerc who scored in the right corner. It was a thrilling try. 13-8 after 31 minutes.

Just before half time Steyn was penalised and yellow-carded for tripping and Dupuy made the half-time score 13-11.

While Steyn was off Dupuy missed a kick at goal and then goaled one when Tendai Mtawarira was penalised at a collapsing scrum. 14-13. France were ahead.

The Springboks had a great maul and played the ball to Habana coming in from the left but he lost the ball forward and the French went racing away down the left as the Springboks scrambled.

South Africa had two chances to recover the lead - the first from that five-metre line-out when Chabal beat Matfield for the ball and the second when Steyn missed a penalty for foul play.

Two knock-ons in quick succession by Kankowski produced a scrum for France and that became a penalty against Smit which Dupuy goaled. 17-13.

There was a bizarre incident after this. JP Pietersen got the ball in touch and looked to throw in quickly. There were five Frenchmen in front of him and no Springboks when he decided to throw in quickly - and forward - at a Frenchman, perhaps to win a free kick. The Frenchman got out of the way but France gathered and attacked and were right at the Springbok line when Kankowski intervened, illegally and was given a yellow card. Morgan Parra, not long on for Dupuy, missed.

But when CJ van der Linde was penalised at a scrum with three minutes to go, Parra goaled. 20-13. France were in charge.

France won the ball at a scrum and Picamoles pickled up to run the ball into touch and cause an outbreak of glee amongst the capacity crowd. Winning meant a great deal to France.

South Africa have played two on tour and lost both. Their scrumming remains a problem. They have now been penalised eight times at scrums. Martín Castrogiovanni must be licking his lips.

Man of the Match: Heinrich Brüssow comes close and so does Louis Picamoles, the burly, young No.8. Julien Dupuy comes closer with his clever tactics and lively performance but he was not allowed to play the whole match. Our Man of the Match is a young prop, Fabian Barcella, who did all a prop should do, made scrummaging an unhappy experience for South Africa and a profitable one for France and was able top run and handle with aplomb.

Moment of the Match: This one goes to France's try in the 31st minute. Harinordoquy chased and Kankowski knocked on a long way. France grabbed the chance and attacked down the left and then went right. David shrugged off Burger and was close but Trinh-Duc flicked a perfect pass to Clerc who scored in the right corner. It was a thrilling try.

Villains of the Match: This goes to the two yellow-carded Springboks - Morné Steyn and Ryan Kankowski.

The scorers:

For France:
Try: Clerc
Pens: Dupuy 4, Parra

For South Africa:
Try: Smit
Con: Steyn
Pens: Steyn
DG: Steyn

Yellow cards: Morné Steyn (South Africa, 40 - professional foul, trip), Ryan Kankowski (South Africa, 69th - professional foul, killing the ball)

Teams:

France: 15 Damien Traille, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Yann David, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Cédric Heymans, 10 François Trinh-Duc, 9 Julien Dupuy, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Imanol Harinordoquy, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 5 Romain Millo-Chluski, 4 Lionel Nallet, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 William Servat, 1 Fabian Barcella.
Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Sylvain Marconnet, 18 Sébastien Chabal, 19 Julien Bonnaire, 20 Morgan Parra, 21 David Marty, 22 Maxime Médard.

South Africa: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Adi Jacobs, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 John Smit (captain), 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Wian du Preez, 18 CJ van der Linde, 19 Andries Bekker, 20 Danie Rossouw, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Wynand Olivier.

365