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South Africa

The touring France hockey side suffered a close 3-2 loss to a pumped up South Africa Under-21 side in East London Monday.

But don't look too much into the result of the match - the first of three warm-up games for the tourists before playing the senior South African team - in two Tests at the weekend.

The tourists were not at full strength with five of their top players having arrived from Europe on Monday morning, and likely to play in the second warm-up on Tuesday.

Before the match France's manager, Patrick Roult was a bit apprehensive.

"The South African Under-21 team have something to prove so it could be a difficult game for us," he ventured.

"Many of their players want to get into the senior team." However, the tourists were first on the board when their short, nippy midfielder, Matthieu Durchon received the ball in the circle just minutes before halftime and swivelled, leaving the South African goalkeeper Dru Hewson, standing. The halftime score was 1-0.

The match was played at times at a ferocious pace with the ball moving from one side of the field to the other.

SA-Under 21 midfielder Lloyd Norris-Jones was yellow-carded for chirping early in the second half and soon afterward French forward Sebastien Jeanjean joined him in the sin-bin for over-robust play.

However, upon returning to the field Norris-Jones stunned the French with a powerful shot from the right which hit the left corner of the goal for a well-deserved equaliser.

Minutes later Luguile Tsolekile, who was playing his heart out, scored after a shot from Austin Smith deflected off his stick into the goal.

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