While many have played down talk of revenge, scrumhalf Maxime Lucu has poured fuel on the fire, admitting that that France are out for blood when they face the Springboks in Paris on Saturday.

The two teams will go head-to-head at the Stade de France for the first time since the Springboks’ victory in the 2023 World Cup quarterfinal.

The Springboks edged that one by the thinnest of one-point margins (29–28) to dump Les Bleus out on home soil in what will go down as one of the greatest World Cup games in history.

South Africa went on to claim back-to-back World Cup title win one-point wins over England and New Zealand.

“It was a massive defeat for us,” Lucu told EPCRugby.com.

“For us, the French people, it’s really stuck with us.

“It was our World Cup, and they came and stole it off us. It was such a great game.”

While the Boks are often renowned for their brutal strength in the pack, Lucu remained conscious of the wide range of threats Rassie Erasmus’ men pose across the park.

“They’re much more than just brutes.

“It’s true they’re unbelievably strong, but they’ve also got a lot of quick and nimble youngsters coming through.

“There’s talent everywhere; they’re a complete side,” he said.

The scrumhalf, who will have to fill the shoes of Antoine Dupont this Saturday, said he relished the chance to face the Springboks.

“We can’t wait to take them on.

“They’re back-to-back world champions. Everything’s set up perfectly for a great game.”