The France coach Bernard Laporte had said that victory in this Test and next Saturday's encounter with the All Blacks would be a clear statement of French intentions for the World Cup.
For all the emphatic scoreline, victory here offered all the clarity of red wine, however, but this was not exactly vintage stuff from a distinctly patchy looking France.
Like the Australians and All-Blacks before them in previous Tests here in Marseilles, the Springboks were greeted with a deafening cacophony of whistles and boos when they came out to warm up in front of the great concrete stands, partly filled with rows of junior rugby players from clubs across the south of France..
The wall of sound failed to lift the home side initially, however, and basic handling errors proliferated in a congested midfield, although France did carve out a nine-point lead by half-time, thanks to three penalty goals from the fly-half François Gelez, to one for André Pretorius.
Their other score was a typically cheeky short-range drop goal on the half-hour from France's hero of the week, Thomas Castaignède, who had been the centre of attention on his return to the national side just over two years after rupturing his achilles tendon while warming up against Australia in November 2000.
When France finally broke the tryline, five minutes into the second half, it was with a move that made up for the early hesitancy.
The Springboks' young No 8 Joe van Niekerk - elected their player of the year last season - spilled the ball in the French 22. France's debutant Vincent Clerc scorched up his wing, slipped the perfect pass to his captain, Fabien Galthié, who celebrated his fiftieth cap by putting up an elegant chip for Cedric Heymans to gather at pace.
Gelez added the conversion and a further penalty to put Les Bleus 19 points clear with half an hour remaining.
A rout looked to be pending, but South Africa fought back when Van Niekerk made up for his earlier error by taking Breyton Paulse's overhead pass and stretching over for the try and a little credibility.
The credibility could have been enhanced further had the video referee not ruled that Neil de Kock's charge-down and touchdown four minutes from time was outside the in-goal area.
There was no doubt about Clerc's second in injury time, however, as he slapped down Damien Traille's grubber kick.
France: Brusque; Clerc, Castaignède (Garbajosa 72), Traille, Heymans; Gelez, Galthié (capt); Crenca, Ibañez (Rué 80), De Villiers (Marconnet 69), Pelous, Brouzet, Betsen, Magne, Harinordoquy.
South Africa: Greef; Paulse, De Villiers (Joubert 6), Jacobs, Russell; Pretorius, De Kock; Sephaka (Van Biljoen 50), Dalton, Meyer (Roux ht), Botha (Wannenberg 57), Laubschagne, Krige (capt), Venter (Wentzel 67), Van Niekerk.
Referee: A Rolland (Ireland).
