The Springboks have four wins and 20 points after beating Italy 66-7. France are next in Paris on Friday, followed by Ireland in Dublin before the Twickenham finals weekend.
Current position: 12 November 2026
South Africa lead the southern group on 20 points. France lead the northern group on 17, making Friday's meeting a contest between the two current group leaders.
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 4 July | England | South Africa won 45-21 |
| 11 July | Scotland | South Africa won 42-28 |
| 18 July | Wales | South Africa won 43-0 |
| 7 November | Italy | South Africa won 66-7 |
The Boks led Italy 45-0 at half-time. Malcolm Marx scored twice before the break as South Africa settled the contest early.
Fixtures and dates
| Date | Match | Venue | SAST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 November | France v South Africa | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | 22:10 |
| 21 November | Ireland v South Africa | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 18:40 |
France is a Friday-night Test. Ireland follows eight days later, before the finals weekend from 27 to 29 November.
France move Dupont to fly-half
France have selected Antoine Dupont at fly-half with Maxime Lucu at scrum-half. Romain Ntamack is out with a shoulder injury; Gregory Alldritt and Julien Marchand return to the starting side.
France beat Fiji 54-17 after losing 34-32 to New Zealand earlier in the competition. Their attack gives the Boks a much tougher assignment than the Italy scoreline suggests.
First place earns the grand final
The northern and southern groups have separate standings. Every team plays the six sides from the opposite group across July and November, with first facing first in the grand final.
Second plays second, third plays third and so on during finals weekend. South Africa's opponent is therefore decided by the final group positions, not by a pre-arranged knockout draw.
| Date | Pairing | SAST |
|---|---|---|
| 27 November | Sixth v sixth | 18:40 |
| 27 November | Third v third | 22:10 |
| 28 November | Fifth v fifth | 15:10 |
| 28 November | Second v second | 18:40 |
| 29 November | Fourth v fourth | 15:10 |
| 29 November | Grand final: first v first | 18:40 |
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Questions about Springboks: Nations Championship
What was the Springboks' result against Italy?
South Africa beat Italy 66-7 on 7 November 2026, having led 45-0 at half-time.
What time is France v South Africa?
The Friday 13 November Test at Stade de France starts at 22:10 SAST.
When do the Springboks play Ireland?
Ireland host South Africa at the Aviva Stadium on 21 November 2026 at 18:40 SAST.
When is the Nations Championship grand final?
The grand final is at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on 29 November 2026 at 18:40 SAST.