Matfield’s flank fling
11 Mar 2008
The world’s best lock has been playing flank. They do things a little differently at Toulon Rugby Club.
It would be unheard of in South Africa for Matfield trade shirt No. 5 for No. 7. He has no equal when it comes to lock play. His analyses of, and ability to read and torment opposition jumpers is legendary, while is skill and athleticism in loose play is unmatched.
There was, however, method to head coach Tana Umaga’s madness. Matfield, speaking to keo.co.za from his home in the picturesque suburb of Carquieranne, picks up the story of his three matches in unfamiliar territory.
“The whole purpose behind the switch was to enable me to get my hands on the ball more,” Matfield explains. “The coaching staff wanted me to be more involved in the loose, and they felt I had the necessary skills to succeed as a flanker.
“The adjustment was a fairly easy one to make. There’s not many differences other than packing down at a different place in the scrum. I still played the same role I always have in the lineouts – making the calls and being the primary jumper.
“I enjoyed the couple of matches I played there, but I think they realised I was best utilised at lock, so I’m back there for this weekend’s match [Matfield will be partnered by former Bulls team-mate Francois van Schouwenburg].”
Toulon currently top the log in Pro Division 2, four points clear of Stade Montois and a further 10 points clear of the ambitious Paris-based Racing Metro [two teams are promoted to the Top 14]. They have, however, dropped points on the road, putting them under pressure going into the closing stages of the season.
“It’s getting tight now but we’ve got a good, experienced side, so I’m confident we will cope with the pressure,” he said. “The key is to get a couple of away wins [they've lost their last three away games] because that’s been our weakness this season.”
Asked what he made of the Bulls’ indifferent form this season, Matfield sympathized with his former franchise but was in no doubt that their form graph would show an upward curve in the coming weeks.
“The key is to focus on the week ahead and not be overly fixated on setting goals for the [Australasian] tour,” he said. “You get into trouble the moment you start looking ahead and lose focus on the task at hand.
“I’m sure they’ll bounce back. They’ve played some good rugby this season – people lose sight of that. They dominated for 30 minutes against an excellent Crusaders side, and should have been 15 points up with 10 minutes to go against the Sharks. I think inexperience cost them in those matches, with guys like Bakkies Botha, Bryan Habana and Akona Ndungane missing.
“But they’re back now which is a huge boost. They’ve been playing some good rugby in my opinion. They key is getting some momentum on tour, which would allow them to make a big charge in the latter part of the campaign.”
By Ryan Vrede
242 Comments
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11 Mar 2008, 17:05 pm
#148 Ruck
You are the batsman and we are the bowlers. Smash us all around the park. Want to see your stike rate up in the high 90′s please
11 Mar 2008, 17:05 pm
Province
11 Mar 2008, 17:07 pm
Beurtkrag has kicked in here again….. running the Notebook with 3G now till the battery farkkkkks out as well……
I hate Eksdom….. really I do…..
11 Mar 2008, 17:10 pm
eishkom
11 Mar 2008, 17:13 pm
#153 – Well I was impressed to see the Spar in Lynwood Pretoria has a generator – and they advertise it well.
11 Mar 2008, 17:14 pm
#155 Ruck
SparKrag
11 Mar 2008, 17:18 pm
Ruck,
Lynnwood….. at least you chose well where to stay in Pretoria…….. the Eastern side of Pretoria is the best….
I see you were talking about Lynnwood Ridge earlier as well….. did you stay there with friends / family ?
I grew up in Lynnwood…… Kings Highway to be exact….. dad still lives there…
11 Mar 2008, 18:07 pm
Is this Super 14 prediction competition still happening?
11 Mar 2008, 18:10 pm
#150 well quoted from the 2002 SA Rugby Magazine.
11 Mar 2008, 18:57 pm
Saffa _Guy # 150
Good laugh. Who wrote it?
11 Mar 2008, 19:09 pm
evening…
11 Mar 2008, 19:14 pm
Howdy doody
11 Mar 2008, 19:15 pm
Eishhhhhhhh Power is still off…..
I hear Eksdom’s schedule giving the dates & areas where loadshedding will be is an absolute farking ballsup…… for instance they have the East Rand area – Ekhuruleni, as being somewhere in the Freestate in stead of East of Josi…
If it was up to Eksdom ALL our foreign visitors would land at Welkom in stead of O R Tambo International….
Arseholes !
Fark, wonder how many babies are conceived in these Load-shedding episodes……
I’ve sent handbriekie and the daughter to Nando’s……. otherwise we’ll never freegin eat tonight !
11 Mar 2008, 19:19 pm
why is it that nothing exciting ever happens on a Tuesday?
11 Mar 2008, 19:29 pm
Yesterday don’t matter if its gone
for Ruby Tuesday
11 Mar 2008, 20:19 pm
well – at least we ain’t spendin em with Mory…
11 Mar 2008, 20:23 pm
why is everything so dead? Is it a power problem?
Where’s the dwarf and his bunch of happy henchjournos? Can’t we even engage in a light verbal sparring joust with them? I mean, desperate times, and all…
11 Mar 2008, 20:24 pm
sparring joust… listening to me mixing my metaphors like a real cretin. Soon you folk will mistake me for a bulls supporter.
11 Mar 2008, 20:36 pm
sorry robbie d I been busy with a house plan
perhaps you still here
11 Mar 2008, 20:38 pm
I am… you an architect, skoppie?
11 Mar 2008, 20:39 pm
Nope a builder, trying to fathom the architects drawing
11 Mar 2008, 20:42 pm
ah. Try turning it upside down?
11 Mar 2008, 20:43 pm
must be a power problem in the rest of the noordelike country else they’d be here vloeking for all they’re worth
11 Mar 2008, 20:44 pm
which part of the country are you in?
11 Mar 2008, 20:46 pm
I tried every which way still can’t work out my A-A section from my B-B, sorted most out by series of defaults though.
11 Mar 2008, 20:46 pm
Kaapschtadt
11 Mar 2008, 20:48 pm
You in Tekweni?
11 Mar 2008, 20:49 pm
Skoppie, never realised that you are in Cape Town?
11 Mar 2008, 20:53 pm
Yeah boerboel south peninsula, ex Springs and Parktown and Muldersdrift, C.T since ’78
11 Mar 2008, 20:56 pm
Since ’78 is a long time! I was in Stellies since ’73 and then left in ’77 after my degree and came back in ’92.
If you say builder you mean single houses or large buildings?
11 Mar 2008, 20:59 pm
Did any of you watch 3rd degree with Debsy Patta?
Interviewing Simba Makoni. The new dude on the block to lead Zimbabwe. Standing against Mugabe in the 29 March elections. Quite an interesting specimen. He’s an industrialist who although being in the Politburo of Mugabe swears he tried to reform from within ZanuPF until it became untenable and he had to stand against Bob. He will get HUGE support from the ANC I bet. Speaks well but I would like to hear more.
The region needs a break and I pray something fundamental shifts in the right direction. It will release pressure and the aftermath will even take our focus off other issues like the petrol price.
May it rain on Africa.
11 Mar 2008, 21:00 pm
I am in Poland right now
11 Mar 2008, 21:03 pm
houses and small contracts, retaining walls, renovations, additions and the like, what about you, where were you between ’77 and ’92, I was also afwesig ’75 – ’78
hiya jinx, roberto’s time is almost verby, just another couple ticks on the clock and a new dawn should start to reign (rain) on Zimbabwe.
11 Mar 2008, 21:03 pm
Nope Jinx, but Zim need a change, that’s for sure
11 Mar 2008, 21:04 pm
Skop, I was mostly in the Nothern Cape. I’m an engineer
11 Mar 2008, 21:05 pm
Polska, wtf you doing in that forsaken Caucasian iceland wilderness robbie-d?
11 Mar 2008, 21:05 pm
Oh and just more than 2 yrs in PTA where I built my first house! And now I’ve just renovated the umpteenth one, and it is the last one.
11 Mar 2008, 21:08 pm
Jeez I needed an engineer tonight, structural, civil, what kind of engineer Boerboel?
11 Mar 2008, 21:08 pm
waiting to get our of here! I’m helping some of my colleagues design a provisioning solution for an oil company, if that means anything to anyone
11 Mar 2008, 21:09 pm
So where you now Bb? how bigs your latest project, and how you know for sure its the last one?
11 Mar 2008, 21:09 pm
Evening gents
You will make a packet building in the new Zim.
Skop, agree Bob is history. A very sad case who did so much in Zim in the early years before destroying everything. A new chapter beckons and I feel the sparks will get the energy flowing in a new positive cycle again notwithstanding the huge challenges.
11 Mar 2008, 21:10 pm
I used to dive Robd,
off aberdeen .
11 Mar 2008, 21:10 pm
Jissus Jinx,
long time no see.
11 Mar 2008, 21:12 pm
Provisioning solution? you mean like self sufficiency or sustainable survival?
11 Mar 2008, 21:14 pm
Skop, last 15 yrs I’m building roads, lat contract R80m. I’m also involved in township development so you gather I’m a civil engineer. Have done structures also earlier in my career.
It’s my last renovation becasue I’m gatvol. But you know, 6 months from now I might find something interesting gain.
11 Mar 2008, 21:16 pm
I don’t know Zim at all sounds like a beautiful country that got truly f’d up good and solid by bobby m, closest I got was Caprivi in good old SADF days.
Most my artisans and laborers are Zim guys much easier and more willing workers to work with than local yokels, guess when they get their country back they’ll be off back home.
11 Mar 2008, 21:17 pm
Boerboel
Interesting. A man that builds roads is one who can stand alone.
11 Mar 2008, 21:20 pm
I mean like identity management!
11 Mar 2008, 21:21 pm
Well R80m is bit beyond my league Bb, sounds like you always got your teeth sunk into something, where you been renovating you latest house?
I just survive from one little project to the next, maybe one these days I’ll build my own place after upgrading everybody else’s.
Naand Duiwel
11 Mar 2008, 21:23 pm
Managing who’s, what identity?
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