Holy cow, did you see that?! France just dropped a bomb on the Nations Championship, snatching a sensational 21-19 victory over world champions South Africa at the Stade de France on Friday! That’s it, that’s the headline right there: they ended South Africa’s perfect 100% record, and suddenly, everything’s on the table. Les Bleus now have four wins from five pool matches, extending their lead in the northern hemisphere standings to six points with only one game left. This is what we signed up for, folks!
The Northern Powerhouse vs. Shaky Southern Supremacy
While France is looking like an absolute machine in the northern hemisphere, South Africa is still technically atop the southern hemisphere standings. But here’s the kicker: they could get completely leapfrogged by New Zealand if the All Blacks manage to beat Wales in Cardiff on Saturday. Talk about pressure! Meanwhile, England is hoping to close the gap on France when they face Japan at Allianz Stadium on Saturday. Steve Borthwick’s side is sitting second in the northern pool on points difference, thanks to a massive 45-22 victory over Australia just last weekend. Ireland also secured a solid 42-12 win over Argentina and are currently third, with Fiji heading to Dublin on Saturday. And then there’s Scotland, who took a hit losing to New Zealand last week, now in fourth with two wins and two defeats, prepping to face Australia at Murrayfield on Sunday. Wales, for their part, grabbed a 28-21 win over Japan in their first home match of the championship but are still stuck in fifth place. France, after that insane win over South Africa, are definitely the favorites to secure their spot in the inaugural final when they go up against Argentina in their last pool match on November 21.
How This Championship Actually Works and What’s Ahead
For those still catching up, the Nations Championship is this epic showdown, pitting the northern hemisphere teams from the Six Nations (England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, and Italy) against southern hemisphere heavyweights South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina, plus invited squads Fiji and Japan. Every team plays each of the six opposing hemisphere teams once, with three rounds in July and another three right now in November. The results rank the teams within their own hemisphere, from one to six. The grand finale, the finals weekend, is a three-day play-off event from November 27-29, all happening at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham. The sixth-placed team from the north plays the sixth from the south, and so on, building up to the two top-ranked sides going head-to-head for the title. Plus, there’s even a “Ryder-Cup style” hemisphere title where each match winner on play-off weekend earns a point for their hemisphere.
With France pulling off that stunner against South Africa, and the southern standings potentially about to get flipped, this final stretch of pool matches is going to be absolutely wild. Keep an eye on Saturday’s matchups: Italy v Argentina, Wales v New Zealand, England v Japan, and Ireland v Fiji. Sunday brings Scotland v Australia. We’re on the cusp of crowning the first-ever Nations Championship winner, and if the action keeps up like Friday night’s thriller, it’s going to be an unforgettable ride to that title match!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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