Tries: Grandidier-Nkanang, Attissogbe, Bielle-Biarrey Cons: Lucu (3)
Tries: Wessels, Reinach, Marx Cons: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2)
France held on to end their five-match losing run against South Africa at Stade de France with an enthralling 21-19 victory in Paris.
The victory dents the world champions' hopes of reaching the Nations Championship final and puts Les Bleus in a strong position to top the Northern Hemisphere standings.
The hosts, inspired by their captain Antoine Dupont, showed their class and skill to score three first-half tries.
France's back three of Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, Theo Attissogbe and Louis Bielle-Biarrey all crossed in a thrilling opening 40 minutes.
The Springboks' try came before Bielle-Biarrey's, with Jan-Hendrik Wessels scoring off the back of a maul.
Number eight Jasper Wiese was shown a 20-minute red card early in the second half for a tucked-shoulder charge, but it had the opposite effect to derailing the world champions.
Replacement scrum-half Cobus Reinach and hooker Malcolm Marx scored to set a thrilling finale, with South Africa's set-piece power proving too much.
However, Manie Libbok missed the vital conversion to Marx's try that would have levelled the game.
With South Africa pushing for a winning score, Bielle-Biarrey produced a huge defensive play to force the ball loose, before Dupont, who was named player of the match, gathered possession to help seal the victory.
