Calling the shots
19 Apr 2010
Victor Matfield is the most complete captain in South Africa.
In the new issue of SA Rugby magazine, we find out how Matfield’s leadership style has evolved over the years and what makes him such an outstanding captain for the Bulls today.
‘I was a real stubborn bugger when I was in my early- to mid-20s. Hard-headed and unplayable at times,’ Matfield says in an honest self-appraisal of his formative years. ‘Even though I was a youngster in the teams I represented I would still want to have an influence on important decisions and I wanted things done my way. On the surface it seemed like I had everything under control, but inside I was unsure of myself. Now I see captains like that and I cringe because they are what I was and it’s ugly.’
Matfield goes on to reveal the things that have helped him to grow as a leader and what he learnt from iconic American football coach Vince Lombardi. Heyneke Meyer and Fourie du Preez also provide unique insight into Matfield’s captaincy style.
Also in the new issue:
– Bulls backline coach Pieter Rossouw on earning his players’ respect, Fourie du Preez’s dispensibility and adapting to the new law interpretations
– The Western Province Rugby Institute was established in 2007 in order to retain the union’s young players and help them to make the transition to senior level. SA Rugby magazine finds out what progress has been made
– Why Wandile Mjekevu has the potential to become a world-class wing
– Bismarck du Plessis on the Sharks’ poor start to the Super 14, his alleged rift with John Smit, and why he wants to stay in Durban
– Conrad Smith on the Hurricanes, next year’s World Cup in New Zealand, his ideal Bok midfield and life after rugby
– Reds flyhalf Quade Cooper may be a bad boy off the field, but he’s making a good impression on it
– The new law interpretations have forced Super 14 teams to change the way they play the game. Rassie Erasmus, Gary Gold, Robbie Kempson and Balie Swart explain why
– Discarded England flyhalf Danny Cipriani hopes to resurrect his career with Melbourne’s new franchise, but it won’t be easy
– Francois Pienaar on the progress of the Varsity Cup, its future plans, Maties’ dominance and how the competition helps transformation
– Former Stormers lock Ross Skeate on his successful stint with Toulon, his enduring hope of a Springbok call-up and why the new law interpretations will never catch on up north
– Jake White explains why the maul is an important part of the game and how to counter-act it
329 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 [6] 7 » Show All
20 Apr 2010, 00:09 am
@skopskiet: 123. Duh!?!
20 Apr 2010, 00:11 am
@grant10: 131. And totally the right decision!
20 Apr 2010, 00:12 am
@GOD: 150. Everyone “non-Black” is a supremacist?
20 Apr 2010, 00:14 am
@cab: 98. Everyone should be accountable!!
20 Apr 2010, 00:15 am
No wonder you ducked for cover under her majesty’s petty coat tails.
Old Jakey boy wanted to do just the same but the Old Fruits wouldn’t have him, his background was just that little too sordid and distasteful what with all the in house bickering and back stabbing that went on around his lack lustre tenure where the linesman handed him an undeserved victory over the hard done by home country.
Jake fluked a Wc, get the facts straight, not a decent rugby playing nation in sight did he have to negotiate, and even then he leaned so heavily on his comrade Eddy’s armpit that the poor fella is still reeling from prop up crutch syndrome. He almost wet himself when Tonga almost f’d his famous bokke right out the competition even before the quarters. Stiffest competition he faced was from two little unknown pacific Islands throughout the entire competition the rest just never bothered to pitch up.
No Jake never won anything, he got gifted a fluke made in heaven and Eddy actually deserved the half baked accolades.
Easiest pie in the sky competition I ever witnessed dunno how the hell destiny colluded with fate to cough up that no contest pie in the sky one way ticket lucky packet Wc setup. Never again will any coach have it so categorically flukety fluke uncanily one sided.
20 Apr 2010, 00:16 am
you wouldn’t know bigotry if it slapped you right in the head and god knows you need it big time. talking of judgemental, just who is the person casting aspersions on bigotry, hyprocryrical twat.
20 Apr 2010, 00:19 am
ducked for cover, where? you wrong about many thing old man. i aint fearful of SA, i left for the same reason you did and your sons have, to see the world, you know it and i know it, but this is all just about winning the argument.
fact of the matter is, you lot have absolutely no idea what lies in the hearts (or more importantly minds) of men like White or Mallett, and yet you cast these blanket aspersions, these massive sweeping judgements, bunch of bladdy damn fool hypocrites, to thick to even see how think they are.
20 Apr 2010, 00:21 am
Jake White won a world cup that is a fact, it is only YOUR opinion that it was a fluke, get that right for a start and you;ll have some idea what rational thought is all about -you dont even have the foggiest.
as i’ve said all along you lot are all the same, swept away with emotion, just the same as the nationalistic mamparras who caused all this **** in the first place – cut from the same cloth.
20 Apr 2010, 00:22 am
@skopskiet: 253. Farking looollll…
Her Majesty’s coat tails, the Kaisers Helmet, Napoleon’s Jacket and Paul Revere’s spare saddle – no ducking, but dodging volcanic ash.
20 Apr 2010, 00:23 am
@skopskiet: 253. Are you also a puke-spewing revolutionary from the trenches of Camps Bay?
20 Apr 2010, 00:24 am
in fact, the funniest of the lot is both GOD overhere is based in the UK and old ET is based in the US – so thats one dame stupid line of fool thought as per usual.
20 Apr 2010, 00:25 am
@cab: 259. God is based in Stevenage (Separate from the UK!)
20 Apr 2010, 00:27 am
all i know is God here, who i thought was the real deal, i.e. one of the old MK cadres, apparently carried the struggle out on the mean streets of the UCT campus about 5 years after apartheid, so wtf he was or is struggling against i am not quite sure. the lord moves in mysterious ways.
20 Apr 2010, 00:27 am
Stevenage is a separate prinicpality for chavs, pikeys and now langenhovens. Its twinned with Swindon.
20 Apr 2010, 00:29 am
@cab: Naaah, he was learning voodoo economics in Fort Hare, same “Alma Mater” as Bob
20 Apr 2010, 00:31 am
what you don’t seem to realize is that some are more easy to read than others. Some self righteous self idolizing fools are as easy to read as an open book.
Maybe you feel its your rationalists duty to defend bigotry for all its worth, but bigotry it stays and bigotry it is when a grown man coach is far too chicken to handle and face up to a measley young youth for fear of his own self acquainted well worn insecurities.
Maybe you simply can’t handle it when I call out rank blatant raw egotism for what it is, maybe its just too close to the bone for you, perhaps because you recognize some of that blatant raw human egotism right within yourself.
Far better to see it for what it is than pretend it don’t exist. Or you still blatantly disagree with that also?
20 Apr 2010, 00:35 am
but what utter arrogance, how the hell can you just ‘tell’ what lies in the minds of others?
i have never EVER defended bigotry.
As for egotism, what you now a psychologist too? hell if i have a big ego, just imagine the size of yours or God;s?
20 Apr 2010, 00:35 am
btw I was actually talking to HG here in 253 but you most welcome to take it on the chin if you so think the cap may perchance fit.
20 Apr 2010, 00:37 am
White has never been a great diplomat, he reacted angril and stupidly on many occasions, you dont seem to be such a gracious bigger man either, i dont see you turning the other cheek or being the bigger man – you guys are hypocrites.
20 Apr 2010, 00:38 am
you have’nt landed a thing, so go right ahead. simply confusion.
20 Apr 2010, 00:40 am
lol, we have some tosspot who calls himself GOD and another able to read between the lines due to his superior education and the leader of the pariah demigogue society for battlers who can see evil in the hearts of man from a thousand yards.
****.
20 Apr 2010, 00:40 am
naah I’m no revolutionary, I leave such heroic’s to the likes of cab and others, I’m just an ego busting bull sh’t stirrer.
Funny thing is bullsh’t like ego is just so patently obvious you can easily identify it without much sweat by the stench of its highly intoxicating smell
20 Apr 2010, 00:42 am
@skopskiet: 264. Egotist – White? Sure, he was a school teacher, ever met a male one who wasn’t?
And Luke Watson, the puker-on-bok-as-a-demonstration-of-his-revolution, has none? Good one…
20 Apr 2010, 00:43 am
@skopskiet: 270. like one big, steaming bosha… mmm, you are a connosieur
20 Apr 2010, 00:43 am
you most certainly are a revolutionary and a fundamentalist, and you have a very big ego too, make no mistake, and you know that too.
the thing is you fancy yourself as being able to bust these big truths, but its such utter ego-ridden bullshit itself. totally and completely.
20 Apr 2010, 00:45 am
@cab:
@214
Cab, in the year(2009) of my absence on Keo I observed your confusion with some facts and also your repeated vacillations wrt White and Burger where, with others you went to and fro(+ve and -ve) in the way you perceived either.
What I comment about in posts 118(your 116), 192 and 212, and now, just concerns the year 2006 and what led to it. Thus it only concerns Watson, Floors and Tjiblika after the Burger injury and White.
Those posts cover all the bases that you set with your criteria and I have calmly presented the facts to give you no room for skirting around them.
The White size factor I have adequately answered as Luke is bigger (albeit marginally) than both of White’s selections. The form and thus merit selection is overwhelmimgly in Watson’s favour as he was selected the S14 player of that year in the position of #6 that he played that tournament.
The colour component, which I prefer to tag as non-racial selection, does not have to always deal with colour. Try to convince the millions of people of colour that they will not accept Luke as a human being, even as a black, whilst you and others mischieviously will deliberately and non-constructively say he is white.
Having dealt with those criteria, and more, how can you then perceive White’s selection as nothing other than being vindictive and quite clearly then racist because he knew that the non-racists in the country, whoever they are, would obviously be angered, as history clearly showed at that time(remember the Watson campaign).
Your stance in your posts 147 and 196 just to me, changed from istly size and colour(quota) restrictions to later Watson attacked him in the press(but you fail to say that that was long after the selections of the 3N and eoyt of that year 2006. It was really what happened when he was also Luke’s u/19(or so) coach and Luke as he was encouraged to do by his Grey High schooling questioned the coach whom you know is no god. In this day of cyber space respect from young to seemingly older no longer exists. It is correctly about ideas.
I implore you to read my posts, which I have numbered above, quietly and clearly and admit that the facts argue against your understanding of the situation. Recall also how you emotionally argued against and belittled the same White when you read he was seriously interested in the 2009 BL coaching job.
And whilst you are at it please bury this over-emphasising of size (bigness) in sport.It is just a bully-boy approach which I find so prevalent here in the US.
You should know that the smaller are naturally more skilled(soft hands),generally, and the large and big are more often than not described as clumsy oafs. It all about the laws of physics for both groups and the one is not necessarily more advantaged than the other. It cuts both ways.
20 Apr 2010, 00:46 am
right, thats it for me, i’m afraid i’ve never been one to swallow bullshit too well, esp of the variety used to tar ppl personally.
ask yourself who started this little fiasco in the first place?
the reason you dislike white is because he did not select watson whom YOU personally happened to believe should be selected, but your ego will not allow the possibility that others actually dont think Watson should have been selected.
20 Apr 2010, 00:47 am
Strange that you find yourself with this great urge to defend Jake White from my ire and atrocious judgement. Strange that you find this rather weak individual somebody who you actually admire.
Hmm I’m looking for some kind of pattern here, weaklings, bully’s, scape goat manipulative artists, schoolmaster power play shenanigan’s on relatively defenceless young 20 year olds.
Still can’t quite fathom wtf there is in such deplorable actions to somehow find admirable..
20 Apr 2010, 00:52 am
@ET:
let me clear up any confusion, i think White and Burger did very well for SA rugby, they performed to their very utmost and gave alot of ppl alot to be proud of SA for, which is no bad thing with all its in-fighting. These guys have never given anything more than their utmost and you cannot ask for more then that. I personally beleive they are both very skillful at what they do and the results speak for themselves, its only you lot that try to constantly detract what is blatantly obvious to everyone else.
Where White made me mad was when he wanted to coach England after the Springboks. I thought this was traitorous to the extreme. I aint never been a big fan of the Springboks growing up, but I could understand the genuine passion certain rugby ppl have for it (and some of those do happen to not be racist either). I thought White was like this since he talked about the tradition and pride of the jersey, and i thought its probably a good thing, since the players will play with the sort of committment found in teams like the ABs who will bust their poepstrings when they pull on that jersey. Then when he wanted to coach england, i thought he was an utter ******* and hypocrite.
Its SA first for me, i dont care for White or Burger personally, but so long as they trying their hardest for SA, they have my full support. What more can you ask for?
20 Apr 2010, 00:53 am
@cab:
Cab, post 274 comes before I have read anything between 223 and 273.
20 Apr 2010, 00:54 am
@skopskiet:
so you believe Watson, with all his connections, is the underling in this one do you?
20 Apr 2010, 00:56 am
@cab:
Is your 277 in answer to my 274?
20 Apr 2010, 01:00 am
@ET: 274. Nonsense, rubbish…
20 Apr 2010, 01:00 am
ET,
let me also say something else, all of you guys prefer a more cerebral type of rugby game to white, or perhaps i should rather say a more attacking instinctive game.
White, believes in a pack of forwards that dominates, he wants big athletic rangey bruisers, he’s made that clear from the start and persisted with players that you guys dont like, and you prefer the more skillful smaller forwards.
Its an antithesis to White’s rugby mind, he may be wrong, but his penchant for size does not make him a racist.
As for his u19 days, i dunno what you talking about.
20 Apr 2010, 01:02 am
look i’ve gotta pack up, am heading to spain tomorrow, later.
20 Apr 2010, 01:07 am
@cab:
What the hell does post 259 mean?
I cannot work where I desire to work and also not brown-nose the decadent ANC for such work?
Why do you not mention that you are in France for much longer?
And I can go back tomorrow if I want to my home which I have not sold. So what dowes say about my intent relative to your intent?
And does one need to be in S.A to be critical of that which is wrong?
20 Apr 2010, 01:08 am
@ET:
yeah sorry about that, i thought it was all out war for a little while there.
20 Apr 2010, 01:10 am
@cab:
You do not know about White previously being his coach earlier? And that he queried some aspect of rugby then? Is it not good to query your coach in S.A.?
Again you then do not know the facts, but you make copious comments and judgements.
20 Apr 2010, 01:14 am
@ET:
so you know the facts do you?
i know white had a brief stint where he suggested watson should play hooker, but what has that to do with the price of cheese. watson knew whites thoughts early, has absolutely nothing to do with bigotry.
White plainly did not rate Watson as a springbok flanker.
Your accusations are that White did not select him because of some sort of racial agenda, where is your evidence for that and please no more reading between the lines.
20 Apr 2010, 01:14 am
@cab:
OK so we will hold fire about that vindictive, racist White and his cohorts until you comment from Spain then.
I do not hope the ash clouds take you out as I still want to disturb you and have a glass of french wine with you some day.
20 Apr 2010, 01:18 am
@ET:
lol, you are wrong about White being racist, but it would be nice to meet up if you ever around europe, tho you sound like quite a fancy eminent md, i’ll have to scrub up nice and get some decent wine.
20 Apr 2010, 01:20 am
@cab:
You deliberately ignore the evidence. You have not countered a single fact or points made in 118, 192, 212, 214(particularly) and more.
The racial call is a conclusion after what happened before, and the way he dealt with Tjiblika and Floors relation to the obvious choice
Give me the evidence for him being non-racial and see what you can come up with.
20 Apr 2010, 01:20 am
Anyone who disagrees that Jake White was a champion of transformation, a hero to the masses, a winner of trophies… IS A RACIST.
While Jake White is a holder of trophies you are just a holder of a great big chip on your shoulder.
20 Apr 2010, 01:24 am
@cab:
Hey! I am only interested in physiology, wine, rugby, assocciation football and cricket( a triple tie for the 3rd choice(sport).
OK I will leave you to pact in peace now and not in pieces.
Hamba kakhuhle uPapa.
20 Apr 2010, 01:34 am
@Jake White is a hero to the New South Africa:
OK Supa die bloubul(of so iets dom).
20 Apr 2010, 01:39 am
Agreed Victor is a good captain. He does sometimes fall foul of the SANZAR refs that dont like afrikaaners.
What he does, working off field tactics and directing play on the ground is awesome.
Well done Vic for not sitting on your laurels and continuing your development. Younger players take note, Habs!!!
20 Apr 2010, 01:43 am
@ET:
16 of the 35 new Springboks appointed by former coach Jake White were non-white.
You see what happens when you only see things through race tinted glasses my self righteous friend? You make wild and blatantly false statements without any research whatsoever to support your drug induced theory that White was somehow a ‘racist’.
You’ve been shown up for what you are. A liar and a racist.
20 Apr 2010, 01:44 am
Who or what determines “Non-racial”?
A new classification term like “Non-black”?
Like eating meat leads to racism?
The Willy-wonka guide to smartie hue classification?
20 Apr 2010, 01:50 am
@Jake White is a hero to the New South Africa: 295. Naaah, Elliot is a “Sport Scientist” who struggles to differenciate between a metatarsal and a fibula, confuses “non-black” and “non-racial”, and thinks flying to the US is a bungee off Table Mountain.
20 Apr 2010, 02:25 am
@Heavens Game:
Demented, meaningless garbage as usual.
Is it your autism, only belatedly, affecting you hence your twisted tortured approach that no one can follow because it is non-directional and irrational?
Or is it really the dementia rapidly overwhelming you or is it that ugly Als. word that no one wants to mention.
Whatever it is ‘slaap goed ou befokte doring’.
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 [6] 7 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.