'It's going to hurt': France star knows what awaits against Springboks

Speaking ahead of Friday night's meeting with the double world champions, the Toulouse star was asked whether there's any apprehension in facing a side built like South Africa's.

"It's going to hurt, that's for sure," he said. "But when you love combat sports, you love taking on the best. It can be a bit unsettling, but we all want to test ourselves and show what we're capable of."

Cros was crystal clear about the size of the task, calling the Springboks the world's number one side and describing the last three meetings, in 2022, 2023 and 2025, as extraordinary games.

"We love it and we want to play our game to the full," he added. "So we'll go into this match without any inferiority complex or doubt, but we're aware of the magnitude ahead."

Cros's view of how France win it is simple enough; match the Boks up front and the rest will follow.

"If we want to compete on Friday night, we'll have to compete physically with the Springboks, because that's the platform they build their wins on," he said.

"If we're not up to it there, the game will be very difficult. Let's get things in the right order, and after that we'll have our chances to play the more creative side of the game. That's the approach we have to take, and that's the beauty of this match."

The set-piece battle, in particular, will be vital for France.

"They work as eight on every scrum, a source of real pride for them, and they like to get the upper hand over their opponents in that area," Cros said. "It'll be a key area, one where we were put under pressure in 2023. We've been working since the start of the camp to perform there. Every player will have to give a bit more."

Saturday's 54-17 win over Fiji in Lyon was comfortable on the scoreboard but came at a cost, both in bruises and in a six-day turnaround. The early days were given over to recovery, while Tuesday was the squad's only full training day, held behind closed doors.

"The Fiji game was tough, the contact was brutal, and after that we only had six days to prepare for the Springboks," Cros added. "So we preferred to work in the best possible conditions. It's not a bad thing, sometimes, to be a bit in your own bubble."