Schalk Burger thinks one habit could cost the Springboks against France on Friday: letting a beaten team back into the game. He said it in the same answer in which he called their first half against Italy the best he has seen them play.
“Somehow we kept New Zealand in the game the whole time,” the former Springboks flanker said on The Verdict. “That can’t happen in Paris this weekend.”
South Africa beat Italy 66–7 in Turin on Saturday and led 45–0 at half-time. They play France at the Stade de France on Friday 13 November. Is Burger right to worry after a win like that? Tell us in the comments.
What is the habit Burger wants gone?
Burger went back to the Test wins over New Zealand to make his point. South Africa were dominant for long periods, he said, and still found a way to hand the momentum back.
Then came the praise. “That first 40 is the best I’ve seen the Boks play,” he said. “So for me it’s a nine.”
Italy were too depleted to punish a loose spell. France at home are a different opponent.
Did the second half in Turin prove his point?
It gave him some evidence. The Springboks scored 45 points before the break and 21 after it, and Italy’s only try came in the second half.
Host Jean de Villiers marked the performance down for that. He called the second half “glitchy” and wanted an eight. Hanyani Shimange sided with Burger on nine.
All three agreed on one weakness. De Villiers said South Africa “didn’t get the dominance we were hoping for” at the scrum.
Why does it matter more against France?
France are at their most dangerous close to the line. Burger called them “dynamite” from entries into the 22, and they have named Antoine Dupont at fly-half.
South Africa have won nine of their last 10 Tests against France and the last four at the Stade de France, including 32–17 a year ago. Burger called that performance dominant and said discipline will be the key again.
“I think we’re good enough to put them away if we have the same sort of discipline,” he said.
The table adds pressure. The panel’s worry is a win in Paris that comes without a bonus point.
Our view
Burger has picked the right flaw. A side that leads 45–0 and then concedes a soft try has switched off, and France score fastest against teams that do. The scrum worries us more. Italy held their own there, and France will bring a bigger pack.
What happens next
France v Springboks kicks off at the Stade de France on Friday 13 November. South Africa then play Ireland in Dublin on Saturday 21 November.
Quotes from The Verdict, Boks Unpacked X The Verdict, published 10 November 2026. De Villiers on the scrum from 4:43; Burger from 51:26; De Villiers from 52:26; France preview from 56:23. Watch the episode.
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