Updates from the 8pm BST kick-off at the Stade de FranceErasmus drafts narrative with flair of French novelistGet in touch! You can email Niall or tweet him
Ears still ringing from La Marseillaise, South Africa get the match under way. Thomas Ramos, whose kicking could be crucial, collects an early high ball.
Before the anthems, a minute’s silence is held for victims of the Hamas attacks in Israel and the continuing violence in Israel and Palestine. It’s mostly well-observed, but a couple of bozos insist on shouting out repeatedly – I can’t make out what they’re saying, but it brings the silence to a premature close.
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