Get inside Big Vic’s head
29 Sep 2009
Victor Matfield is the undisputed lineout king, but what gives him the edge over his opponents?
Click here to subscribe (12 issues for R199)
In the latest issue of SA Rugby magazine, on sale this week, Eddie Jones and Gary Gold provide unique insight into Matfield’s ‘sixth sense’ at the lineout, while the player himself explains exactly what he does when the ball’s about to be thrown in.
Matfield also talks openly about his insatiable hunger for success, why playing 100 Tests for the Boks would mean so much to him, fears that the Boks are peaking too soon before the 2011 World Cup and his coaching ambitions.
Also in the new issue of SA Rugby magazine:
– The key to the Springboks’ Tri-Nations triumph
– Big Debate: Should John Smit be playing tighthead prop for the Boks? Robbie Kempson says yes, Ollie le Roux says no …
– Why Juan Smith is irreplaceable
– The departure of Frans Steyn has left Peter de Villiers with a selection headache at fullback. Percy Montgomery and André Joubert rate the leading candidates for the position
– South African club rugby continues to be plagued by violent incidents involving players, coaches and spectators. One man, though, believes his relaunched initiative will effectively tackle the problem
– How Dawie Theron has reignited the belief at Griquas
– Sharks centre Waylon Murray on his injury nightmare, getting back into the Springbok set-up, and his future plans
– When Harlequins were caught faking a blood injury during a European Cup match last season, it resulted in a record £259 000 fine for the club, a three-year ban for their director of rugby, and a four-month ban for the player involved. SA Rugby magazine finds out exactly what happened and what the implications of ‘Bloodgate’ are for the game in England
– It’s as though he’s never been away. Never shattered that Achilles tendon. Never had to fight his way back through six months of hard slog just to run up and down a rugby field again. it’s the latest remarkable feat in the career of Dan Carter
– Once the most hated rugby player in South Africa, Clyde Rathbone recently quit the game after a long injury battle. He explains his decision, reflects on the highs and lows of his career, and rates the current Springboks
PLUS: Six of the best match-altering tackles (and all of them legal)
212 Comments
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27 Sep 2009, 19:33 pm
#46 PissAnt:
Jack’s too old and big now now for the real topclass stuff, this was their one player who actually could give matfield a go and did about 4 years ago. Williams is alot more athletic, got alot of bluster mongrel but not in the league of Bakkies or Thorne, the meneers who boss the b/d. nz also have a problem with the aging thorne who is older than bakkies but superfit.
27 Sep 2009, 19:34 pm
#45 PissAnt:
Look this year we all know, we lost becasue we had no lineout ( and the Bokke were very good), get that sorted and we will be hard to beat, I for one have no problem with the Bokke winning this year, best team blah blah and best coach ( he he).We have you twice at home next year so pretty sure we’ll do a lot better, you can’t win the Tri Nations every year impossible.
27 Sep 2009, 19:35 pm
#51 cab:
Ask Vic who he rates -Williams.
27 Sep 2009, 19:36 pm
#49 PissAnt:
Sure but not S14
27 Sep 2009, 19:38 pm
S14 dominance is Canterbury nobody gets near them. I hate the farkers but they have all the silverware.
27 Sep 2009, 19:38 pm
#53 NZINCHINA:
i have no dount the ABs will be back, but i dont believe williams will be your salvation, and in my humble opinion, you are tring to do the wrong thing and will be playing into SA hands by trying to compete in this position. williams is not in the league of matfield come lineout time, but who knows. i think the ABs could have gone much closer if they’d gone back to their ruthless strenmths.
27 Sep 2009, 19:42 pm
#52 NZINCHINA:
I have said it before and I will say it again.
Your problem is your coach.
Henry has hit a brick wall and he cannot seem to get around or over it.
As long as he is there, the AB’s are going to struggle.
27 Sep 2009, 19:43 pm
#56 cab:
Cab it was your year this year, simple as that it happens. The Ab’s had won it the last 4 in a row so we got beaten this year, contrary to what a lot think its not the end of the world losing to the Bokke happens and it happens to us more than any against any other team, no shame losing to the Bokke painful but no shame.
27 Sep 2009, 19:43 pm
#54 NZINCHINA:
They won 2 Super titles in 3 years…
And they will be tough to beat next year looking at the draw.
27 Sep 2009, 19:45 pm
#57 PissAnt:
Henry’s done well tho, but yes of late, some desperate decisions.
They say he is a bit theoretical.
I dunno, but the selection of Donald at 12 was a strange one.
However, the ABs have been hit with a helluva lot of injuries this year, but so were the Bokke in 2006 when klapped.
27 Sep 2009, 19:45 pm
#57 PissAnt:
Disagree great coach, poor by his standards this years but he raised the trophy 05/06/07/08 so I’m not going to bag him.
27 Sep 2009, 19:46 pm
#58 NZINCHINA:
Still the greatest duel in world rugby.
It is the one team we want to beat, the others are just nice, but a NZ victory is sweet.
27 Sep 2009, 19:47 pm
#60 cab:
The Ab’s never get clapped, sure we lost 3 times to the Bokke this year but you never clapped on the score board, and the otehr habd we have clapped you many times over the last ten years.
27 Sep 2009, 19:47 pm
#58 NZINCHINA:
LOL, we shall see, yes NZ have been dominant, but i think the Bokke are now getting back into it and now know, not merely believe, they can beat NZ away too, which is a new thing since emerging from isolation, next year will be huge.
27 Sep 2009, 19:48 pm
#60 cab: #61 NZINCHINA:
I am not disputing Henry’s record as coach, it is brilliant.
I am saying he has hit a spot a lot of coaches do sometime in their careers, and it is tough to get out of.
It started in 2007, and I reckon they still did not digest the World Cup disappointment then, and it is eating them even now.
27 Sep 2009, 19:48 pm
#62 PissAnt:
Well of course, we all agree on that, this year hurts I’m sure you can relate to that to that feeling.
27 Sep 2009, 19:49 pm
#63 NZINCHINA:
No thats true, the ABs don’t get klapped. Tho when MJ went over for his hattrick in 2004 i did wonder what was going on.
27 Sep 2009, 19:51 pm
#65 PissAnt:
i think poor robbie deans was a bit hasty, he could still do great things with oz, but like rathbone perhaps might have achieved his potential with his mother country?
27 Sep 2009, 19:52 pm
#66 NZINCHINA:
Let’s hope this is the start of many more battles.
I am out, cheers gents.
27 Sep 2009, 19:53 pm
#67 cab:
Yes good game for the Bokke, what was the winning margin that day?
27 Sep 2009, 19:54 pm
#69 PissAnt:
Cheers pissed.
27 Sep 2009, 19:58 pm
Prett close
For: 1424 Points Against: 1210
W 341 22 July 2000 Christchurch, Jade Stadium 25 – 12
L 343 19 August 2000 Johannesburg, Ellis Park 40 – 46
W 350 21 July 2001 Cape Town, Newlands 12 – 3
W 352 25 August 2001 Auckland, Eden Park 26 – 15
W 362 20 July 2002 Wellington 41 – 20
W 364 10 August 2002 Durban, Kings Park 30 – 23
W 371 19 July 2003 Pretoria, Loftus Versfeld 52 – 16
W 373 9 August 2003 Dunedin, Carisbrook 19 – 11
W 379 8 November 2003 Melbourne, Telstra Dome 29 – 9
W 387 24 July 2004 Christchurch, Jade Stadium 23 – 21
L 389 14 August 2004 Johannesburg, Ellis Park 26 – 40
L 397 6 August 2005 Cape Town 16 – 22
W 399 27 August 2005 Dunedin, Carisbrook 31 – 27
W 409 22 July 2006 Wellington Stadium 35 – 17
W 412 26 August 2006 Pretoria, Loftus Versfeld 45 – 26
L 413 2 September 2006 Rustenburg, Royal Bafokeng 20 – 21
W 421 23 June 2007 Durban, Absa Stadium 26 – 21
W 423 14 July 2007 Christchurch, Jade Stadium 33 – 6
W 433 5 July 2008 Wellington Stadium 19 – 8
L 434 12 July 2008 Dunedin, Carisbrook 28 – 30
W 437 16 August 2008 Cape Town 19 – 0
L 449 25 July 2009 Bloemfontein. Vodacom Park 19 – 28
L 450 1 August 2009 Durban, ABSA Stadium 19 – 31
L 452 12 September 2009 Hamilton, Waikato Stadium 29 – 32
27 Sep 2009, 19:59 pm
#62 PissAnt:
No question, compare the Boks efforts of Brisbane to Hamilton, as if there was every any doubt.
Its a strange thing what happens to a Springbok when they take on the ABs and its something they all feel, even still with professionalism, its the one game the boks invariably get up for however kak they might be.
i was watching a tape of the ’56 tour and one of the more eloquent Boks Wilf Rosenberg made me laugh my arse off at times, they also had an old leathery afr ou (who looked like charles bronson but only tougher) who was also very amusing, those games were like wars – he said something along the lines of ‘the NZ ppl will give you everything off the pitch, but nothing on it.’
27 Sep 2009, 20:01 pm
#70 NZINCHINA:
i think it was 42-24 or something thereabouts, so 18 points is nothing, we’ve been rogered by 50 plus by the english at twickenham, which is quite honestly left me with psychological scarring, it was the longest most painful f’cking nightmare i have ever endured.
27 Sep 2009, 20:04 pm
#74 cab:
We have also put 50 past you twice but having the Pomes fark you in the ar*e with 50 would have hurt you a lot more because those arrogants cu*ts have no idea.
27 Sep 2009, 20:08 pm
#75 NZINCHINA:
yes, very true.
twice, i only remember you giving us a particularly severe arse pounding at loftus, which is amusing since that the homeground of bravado. actually the loftus faithful are very knowledgeable, thats just before the klippies&coke bites, then the stands looks like the remnants of some sort of medieval battleground.
27 Sep 2009, 20:08 pm
#71 NZINCHINA:
I am busy making food so wont comment as often.
But I asked Cane the other day what succession plans NZ has in place post 2011, because it seems from comments guys are only staying (the few that did) for that, to get the elusive WC.
27 Sep 2009, 20:11 pm
#76 cab:
Ha ha went to a Braii up there many years after a game, crikey an interesting experience…..
27 Sep 2009, 20:12 pm
#77 PissAnt:
No succession plan just win the fu*cking thing…
27 Sep 2009, 20:13 pm
Key for Bok’s now is to start changing gears. If we sit on laurels and not read the situation as it unfolds we get caught napping. Matfield is probably being groomed for captaincy by Pdv which I think is a mistake. He has the ability to manage the line out and command respect as a 2IC leader in the pack but I don’t think he’ll make a great captain. Yesterday against the Cheetahs the bulls almost choked under him. He is not a good candidate for bok captain even though he’s probably been promised the post and he probably believes he’s destined to be the one to deliver the goods at 2011WC. If I’m Pdv or bok management I don’t go down that road though I’m afraid thats exactly the road they going to go down, and I doubt we do the deed with Matfield at the helm.
27 Sep 2009, 20:15 pm
#80 skopskiet:
Plenty of time Skop, lets see how you get on next year.
27 Sep 2009, 20:18 pm
#78 NZINCHINA:
ja, its actually normally pretty good-natured stuff, they just like their beer, rugby and braai. end of. makes alot of sense actually. what more is there?
#80 skopskiet:
yeah, think he’s always had half an eye on the captaincy, he’s a bright guy but the captain should be someone who leads by example and puts their body on the line with 100 percent committment, rather than delegating imo.
27 Sep 2009, 20:21 pm
#82 cab:
Yer most of that, except these guy keep getting thier guns out of the back of their pick up trucks and asking me what I thought about their potential for personal protection with these particular firearms, sorry fellas I have know idea but the beer is good.
27 Sep 2009, 20:23 pm
#79 NZINCHINA:
I hear you.
#80 skopskiet:
If there is one thing I would love for people to debate or write more about it is captaincy.
I also agree grooming Vic is wrong.
Leaders play under captains but are not the one-off leaders or main captains once put into the position.
I have asked (myself included) who could ever succeed John…
I am yet to come up with an answer.
27 Sep 2009, 20:24 pm
#83 NZINCHINA:
yeah they’ve cut down on all of that, it used to be ridiculous, now i believe the firearm control are more strict, i remember going to nightclubs in joburg when my pals would check their guns into the cloak room, it was absolutely absurd, never really understood it, big army culture.
27 Sep 2009, 20:27 pm
Matfield is bright and even likeable but very fragile in a leadership scenario. He simply does not have the charismatic clear headed overview that is required from a top international captain and I fear that Pdv don’t realize this. Smit has carried the team even under Jake who was nowhere without Smit. Now Pdv realizes that Smits tenure is limited and he needs a backup and he’s investing all his faith in Matfield. I’m afraid we may come to face some hard learned facts when this happens and a more suitable captain should have been earmarked. I know who my candidate would have been, but the bok’s are going into the next stint beyond 2010 without a proper succession plan, and it could seriously come around to haunt us when these hard facts need facing.
27 Sep 2009, 20:29 pm
#85 cab:
As I said none of my business but was sightly different to what I had been used to back home, in saying that they were very hospitable and loved footy so all good and of course had a to have a quick walk on the Loftus turf, must be a kiwi / saffa thing pretty impressive ground.
27 Sep 2009, 20:31 pm
#86 skopskiet:
i dont particularly like Matfield as a person, and i do not know whether Watson would be right either, he is too pushy, but i suppose Cronje was like that when not tossing games for leather jackets, smit strikes a good balance – he’s a bit low key and flies under the radar, but perhaps that is what is needed for a ‘dirty’ springbok team, in any event, at present he is totally deserving of the captaincy.
he is actually busting a gut out there at the moment, i just dont know how much longer he can do it for.
27 Sep 2009, 20:31 pm
#86 skopskiet:
What about Burger, hes got the required intellect?
27 Sep 2009, 20:36 pm
as tough and bitter the pill might be for everyone concerned to swallow PA is that the next best captain in this country, and for my money perhaps even the very best option almost immediately is the one that may very well lift the CC trophy against most odds this year.
Yes WP have done an amazing turnaround in recent months and ask yourself who is fundamentally responsible for much of it, yes coaching and management and perhaps Rassie behind the scenes, but look what transpires on the field, who is the one rallying the troops and dealing with the ref and monitoring the opportunities and lifting the morale from the front. Beyond Smit we don’t have a suitable captain screaming out with confidence except if they willing to bury the ideological hatchet, then Watson is the one to carry the flame, even as tough a pill to swallow as it way seem for most.
27 Sep 2009, 20:38 pm
I like Burger, but the SA public seem to prefer the midget pinball wizards.
Dunno what sort of captain he’d make.
How much intellect does one need?
Its rugby not chess.
Wat is fout met fokvoort ou doos mentaliteit?
27 Sep 2009, 20:42 pm
nope, it may be a tough pill to swallow, but it does not make it the truth, Watson has been given a rough ride idelogically, but some of that was self-imposed, it takes two to tango and i personally would not pick him with the current looseforwards in SA, but sure perhaps he is worldclass, we’ll see at Bath where there should be no idealogical conditioning to cling too.
27 Sep 2009, 20:45 pm
sorry Nzinchina can’t see Burger as the captaincy candidate. In fact Burger was given the Stormers captaincy for a couple games this year and lost handsomely, soon after he got injured and Watson took the reins by default and the team never looked back after that and since then have actually progressed from strength to strength. I say again beyond Smit the next best captain in this country is the one heading for Bath. All ideology aside he is head and shoulders the natural born leader to take the reins on. Tough as it might be for most to accept it.
Will be interesting to see how the remaining games in this years CC comp unfold, if WP actually win under Watson then my assumptions will be validated.
27 Sep 2009, 20:49 pm
I doubt WP will win if the sharks play their best players in the final, but the reason WP are a success is becuase Erasmus knows how to coach and drill a forward pack, where for once there are tightfoward grafters like nlauw, liebenberg, van zyl, louw and vermeulen.
The Sharks will win, i’d say easily, but erasmus is wiley.
27 Sep 2009, 20:51 pm
let us put our idealogical beliefs to the test then.
i will happily be proven wrong and admit as much.
27 Sep 2009, 20:57 pm
#90 skopskiet:
I reckon if Watson can get in a good place he will be good.
The time away from SA shores might just prove to be the tonic – it was for Percival.
Luke currently however divides more than what he unites nationally.
With a good manager like Morne du Plessis in the Bok setup sure – he did it for Francois when the Tiaan Strauss thing was big news afterall.
27 Sep 2009, 20:57 pm
We talking captaincy now. Smit is not the best tight head prop in the country, neither is he the best hooker in the country. Neither was Francois Pienaar the best No.6 flank in 1995 but he was the man with the leadership charisma to carry the team to the title. Mallet dropped Teichmann for someone who he deemed a far better gifted no.8 and so lost the base of his foundation. He made Joost captain and lost his plot though still came mighty close.
Beyond Smit there is noone to take this team on, not Chilli, not Potgieter, not Matfield, not Burger, and not Fdp, maybe only one with the leadership credentials is Juan Smith but I don’t know if his body will hold out. So swallow it or don’t but next best candidate, and not even next best but the one actually knocking on the door is the little pariah Judas scape goat that everyone loves to hate. Believe it or not, but if they can’t make the correct call and very soon, we going down hill soon after that.
27 Sep 2009, 20:57 pm
1. Beast 2. Bismarck 3. Smit (Jan Dup) 4. Sykes 5. Muller 6. Deysel (Botes) 7. Alberts 8. Kanko
9. Kockett 10. Pienaar 11. Mlovu 12. Hernandez (strauss) 13. Jacobs 14. JP 15. Terreblance
Good luck beating that side, on idealogical grounds or whatever.
27 Sep 2009, 21:05 pm
no need to swallow anything since he’s not even being chosen to represent the springboks, let alone captain them. the reason for that is first he fought with JW, then he incensed the boere by calling them the D-word, and then he unbelievablty fought with PdV.
If anyone would have lent over backwards for Watson it would have been PdV, but due to his personality (no-one else is to blame) that goose was cooked too, good and proper.
Not bright at all, he was in the side and might very well have become captain, but his own worst enemy.
27 Sep 2009, 21:16 pm
PA the divisiveness you talk about is possibly created more from the status quo than from Watson. I believe both sides were at fault and I can’t assess which side was worse. Jake and John closing ranks and creating the furor or Cheeky pushing for his own ideological or political ends and trying to elevate his son beyond what his immediate requirement was. Luke was caught in the cross fire, and seems Pdv also railed against the political manipulation and withdrew his support for the guy.
However what they all missed and what I believe Rassie and maybe one or two others have recognized is that Watson is a natural born charismatic leader, the type of individual that true captains are made from, like the Fitzy’s and the Pienaar’s and the John Eales’ and Martin Johnsons of the world. Smit had the quiet fortitude of an intelligent and natural leader, Watson somewhat more fiery and aggressive, but as far as true leadership capacity goes, you cannot fault the guy. Far better candidate than Burger, Fdp, Matfield, Bismark, Chilli or Potgieter altogether. Whether the management and coaching team are capable of performing the miracle of getting the Pariah to be welcomed back into the fold is a complete other question. But paint it anyway one likes, Watson is to my mind undoubtedly the most pertinent suitable option for the job.
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