Overview
- Nché exited in the 19th minute with ankle and knee damage and was later seen on crutches, with Rassie Erasmus confirming he will not play again on this tour.
- Coaches intend to request Lions tighthead Asenathi Ntlabakanye as cover, subject to approval from the national selectors.
- Ntlabakanye has two formal doping charges lodged by SAIDS, adding uncertainty to any rapid call-up, though he played for the Barbarians in Brentford on Saturday.
- Gerhard Steenekamp and Boan Venter provide loosehead options, Wilco Louw and Zachary Porthen cover tighthead, and Thomas du Toit is expected back to switch sides if required.
- Front-row depth was already reduced by Jan‑Hendrik Wessels’ eight-week suspension, with Erasmus warning that facing France in Paris will be a significant step up.