Former Springboks scrum-half Kevin Putt has said the Springboks “were terrible on the day” in their 21-19 defeat to France. Aaron Cruden added that Rassie Erasmus “can possibly rattle himself”.
Both were speaking on Sky Sport NZ’s The Breakdown. France named Antoine Dupont at fly-half for the first time in a Test and led 21-7 at half-time (France v South Africa match report).
Erasmus himself said afterwards that South Africa were “outsmarted” (read his reaction).
So were the Springboks really that bad, or did France simply outsmart them?
Putt says the Springboks lost the go-forward they pride themselves on
The host asked what the All Blacks could learn from the game. Putt answered as a South African.
“Well, if I put the old Springbok cap back on,” he began. The host told him to go ahead.
“They were terrible on the day in terms of the disconnect again,” Putt said. “There was so much going back, and they pride themselves on that go-forward game… they were actually struggling to retain ball.”
He expects a reset. “I think they’ll go back to basics,” he said.
South Africa did fight back. They lost Jasper Wiese to a red card in the 43rd minute and still won the second half 12-0 with 14 men.
Cruden: ‘Rassie can possibly rattle himself’
France named Dupont at 10 at the start of the week. The host asked Cruden whether the move got to Erasmus.
“Oh, hard to know. I think Rassie can possibly rattle himself sometimes, you know,” Cruden said. “So, yeah, maybe he was a little bit surprised.”
He sees it as part of the modern game. “There’s tactics on the field and there’s sort of off-field tactics now that coaches are trying to sort of sneak in there,” he added.
Putt put France’s selection down to “a bit of Rassie’s flipping reverse psychology”.
Putt says the referee was ‘nervous as heck’
The match had a red card, four yellows and long stoppages. Putt did not enjoy it.
“I just don’t think it’s a great advertisement for rugby,” he said. “I think the ref was nervous as heck about sending anyone else off.”
France had three players sin-binned and South Africa one, plus Wiese’s red. Italian referee Andrea Piardi took charge.
Why Putt wants two 9s on the field
Dupont and Maxime Lucu ran France together, so the show asked its panel to argue for two scrum-halves or two fly-halves. Putt, a former 9, took the scrum-halves.
“We all know that basically you hide tens anyway during the game,” he said. “You go throw them on the wing, you know, so we can do without them in a true sense.”
Cruden, a former 10, replied that two 9s would be “box kicking from your own goal line”. Parsons, a hooker, judged it on who feeds the scrum and gave it to Putt.
Ireland are next for the Springboks
South Africa travel to Dublin on Saturday, one point behind New Zealand in the southern table. Putt has family there, and he says they fancy it.
“They are very, very positive about taking on the Boks. They see a little bit of a weakness now,” he said.
Kevin Putt and Aaron Cruden were speaking on The Breakdown, Sky Sport NZ, on 15 November 2026. Watch the full episode.
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