The French, who will host next year's World Cup, claimed their twelfth straight victory on Saturday, edging the world champion Springboks 30-26 in a dour, physical and frequently brutal clash in which both sides had men sent off. France open the global competition next September with a match against the New Zealand All Blacks.
French full-back Thomas Ramos says it is "too early" to claim his side are favourites for next year's Rugby World Cup, despite Saturday's win over holders South Africa in Marseille.
"I don't know if we're favourites for the World Cup but it's good to beat teams like that before playing a big competition," Ramos told reporters
"When you get to a competition like a World Cup, everything is back to square one at the start of the competition.
"To say we're favourites is a bit early but we'll play the World Cup with ambition and objectives," he added.
Ramos' side complete their Autumn Nations Series campaign next Sunday against Japan, but will be without several frontline members of their squad.
Captain and World Rugby player of the year Antoine Dupont is set to be banned after being shown a red card during the Springboks win.
Prop Cyril Baille has undergone a hernia operation, centre Jonathan Danty has a fractured eye socket, and lock Thibaud Flament suffered a concussion after a brutal affair at the Vélodrome.
Red cards for both sides
France head coach Fabien Galthie kept the same starting lineup from the win over Australia.
Thomas Ramos kicked a penalty to make it 3-0 to the hosts before Pieter-Steph du Toit's moment of madness after just 12 minutes as he was red carded for headbutting Jonathan Danty at a ruck.
Galthie's outfit took the ascendancy and Ramos added a second penalty to make it 6-0 after 17 minutes before Cyril Baille crashed over for a try just after the quarter mark.
Ramos slotted the extras to make it 13-0.
Winger Cheslin Kolbe scored a penalty to make it 13-3 after 25 minutes to calm the visiting side's nerves.
Captain Siya Kolisi's pre-game passion lifted to another level on the half-hour mark as he spun away from a rolling maul to slide over. Kolbe kicked the additional points to make it 13-10.
With things finely balanced and the Boks calmed after du Toit's red card, Ramos was successful with a third penalty which made it 16-10 at the break.
Tense final fifteen minutes
Kolbe and Ramos traded penalties after the interval as France led 19-13 with 35 minutes remaining.
Dupont then followed du Toit to the sideline as he tackled Kolbe in the air from a Faf de Klerk kick with the Boks camped inside Les Bleus' 22m.
From a lineout, Willie le Roux created a try for Kurt-Lee Arendse with a sublime pass before scrum-half de Klerk slotted the touchline conversion to make it 20-19 with less than half an hour to play.
Dupont's opposite number De Klerk, having taken over the kicking duties from Kolbe, off for a head injury assessment, and Ramos exchanged shots at goal to leave the score at 23-22 to set up a tense final quarter.
