France's Maxime Lucu is fired up ahead of Saturday's showdown with South Africa, determined to make amends for the heartbreak of the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final, when the Springboks edged France 29-28 in a thrilling encounter at Marseille.
The upcoming clash at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis marks the first meeting between the two sides since that nail-biting match, a result that has clearly left its mark on the French squad. Lucu admitted the narrow loss still stuck with us, describing the game as a World Cup moment that France felt was stolen by the 2019 champions.
Lucu is set to fill Antoine Dupont's role in the starting XV and is fully aware of the challenge posed by Rassie Erasmus' Springboks. While the South Africans are often portrayed as powerhouses, Lucu emphasised that they are more than just brute force.