1968 South Africa rugby union tour of France

The 1968 South Africa rugby union tour of France was a rugby union tour of France by the South Africa national team in October and November 1968. The tour was South Africa's first sole tour of France, having previously played France on joint-European (Great Britain, Ireland) tours. South Africa's tours of Europe over the previous decades (1906–07, 1912–13, 1931–32, 1951–52, 1960–61, 1965) were extremely successful, holding a win ratio of 88.16%, played across 150 matches.

South Africa won the two-match tour-series 2–0, with both matches being within a five-point margin (20–28 on aggregate). Overall South Africa won five of the six matches on tour.

Background
All of France's three previous victories over South Africa were on South African soil. South Africa's previous match against France on French soil finished 0–0 at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir in the Paris suburb of Colombes. The tour and two-match series held great significance in that, before the match, France was the only team that South Africa had a negative win ratio against (40%). Every other team, including the British Lions, who had only recently toured South Africa months prior, kept South Africa to a neutral win ratio (New Zealand) or a positive one. Furthermore, although one team (France) kept South Africa to a negative win ratio, no team had a positive win ratio against South Africa, the highest being New Zealand with a win ratio of 42.31%.

First match
The first match on the Springbok tour was against a combined team from the South-eastern coastal region of France, with the majority of the team playing with Toulon in the French Championship. South Africa won the match in convincing fashion, scoring six tries to one drop goal.

First test
The fourth match, and first test, of the Springbok tour was against France, played in the south-western city of Bordeaux. The story of the match was the missed kicks from South African errors. One try scored by France to three penalty goals kicked via South Africa's Piet Visagie gave the visitors a 3–9 lead at half-time. However, by full-time, although scoring two late tries to bring themselves back into the match (9–12), France had failed to kick seven penalty goals, three conversions, and a drop goal. A total of thirty points. The final score finished France 9, South Africa 12.

Second test
The sixth match, and final test, of the Springbok tour saw the South Africans play France again, in the Paris commune of Colombes. Trailing 6–3 at half-time, the South Africans fought back early in the second half, scoring three tries to one. South Africa won by five points, and took the series 2–0.