Matfield the Master
13 Jun 2011
MARK KEOHANE, in his Business Day newspaper rugby column, lauds Victor Matfield’s mastery of Andries Bekker and the Stormers.
The occasion demanded Andries Bekker to peel away just a bit of the Victor Matfield aura, but as with the Super Rugby final of 2010 it was the veteran Matfield who simply added to his aura. He remains the best lineout specialist and strategist South Africa has produced and his performance in the 19-16 win against the Stormers at Newlands provides the comfort that Matfield still has the strength of mind and physical capacity to be influential and dominant at this year’s Rugby World Cup.
There were whispers on the eve of the match that Bekker was injured and would not play. The Stormers management denied this but if there was no injury to Bekker before the game then there definitely was to him afterwards – and I am talking about those psychological scars that are a lot more lasting than any physical beating.
Bekker’s performance was always going to be critical to a Stormers victory, but the player who has stood tallest all season had to be content with an evening in the shadow of the master Matfield. It was another reminder that Bekker, for all the potential to be better than Matfield, has not yet delivered in those big moments. Until he does he hasn’t earned the right to be spoken of internationally in the same breath.
The wind conditions at Newlands were testing but the reason the Stormers lost three of their first six lineout balls had more to do with the presence of Matfield than the weather.
The Bulls deserved the win because they played the better finals type rugby and made fewer mistakes. The Stormers fumbled their way through the first 70 minutes and some of the basic handling errors were embarrassing for players at this level.
The defence on both sides was effective and the Stormers were marginally more creative in attack, but the Stormers could not replicate the aggression they showed against the Sharks a month ago.
The match had the traditional South African-derby brutality but as a spectacle it failed to deliver to a capacity Newlands crowd, whose doubts about the Stormers this morning will be justified.
There will be similar questions around the Bulls ability to win away from home in a one-off situation should they be required to travel to Australia or New Zealand for a match against the Reds or Crusaders.
The attacking efficiency from both sides at Newlands was substandard. The Bulls scored from a Stormers lineout mistake and the Stormers scored with two minutes to go and could have had a match-winner with the last movement of the game had Bryan Habana shown the express pace of four years ago to beat the cover defence.
Creatively this match offered nothing for the first 75 minutes as South Africa’s two best teams hammered away at each other. It was all too predictable and from a Cape perspective so too was the result because once again the Stormers lost a match they were favourites to win and once again every doubt resurfaced about the championship capabilities of the Cape-based side, who have lost to the Reds, Crusaders and Bulls at Newlands this season.
Those excusing the Stormers defeat will seek comfort in the Stormers going so close despite having to select their fourth-choice flyhalf because of injuries.
But this was a Bulls team missing Bakkies Botha and Fourie du Preez. Come on, there can be no excuse for the Capetonians.
The Stormers, in securing the bonus point, claimed the South African Conference but they can’t claim the bragging rights of being a cut above the rest of the South African teams and the visit to Bloemfontein has the potential for more questions than answers.
The Sharks and Bulls will determine their own play-off destiny when they front each other in this Saturday’s final league match and everything now favours a home team win and Sharks play-off elimination.
The Sharks decline over the last six weeks has been gradual and a more composed opponent would have humiliated them in Johannesburg. The Lions led 30-9 after 55 minutes, lost Butch James to the sin-bin in the last quarter and were defending their line at 30-all.
I don’t know which would have been worse for Lions coach John Mitchell … to get stuffed or to stuff it up like this?
James, up until his yellow card, had played splendidly at flyhalf and like with Matfield at Newlands the Bok veteran definitely can make a contribution to South Africa’s World Cup success.
398 Comments
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13 Jun 2011, 17:31 pm
I see Grant is fit to play, and will play against Cheetahs.
13 Jun 2011, 17:32 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-350: Gee, now that is the biggest compliment I’ve recieved in a long-long time. Thanks.
13 Jun 2011, 17:32 pm
anyway out till later…
gym calls
13 Jun 2011, 17:34 pm
I just loved that Bulls supporter after Hougaard scored. You could hear his voice above everyone else. Classic.
13 Jun 2011, 17:35 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-353: Cheers
13 Jun 2011, 17:38 pm
13 Jun 2011, 17:51 pm
is trannie one of the “ou manne” on this blog now?
13 Jun 2011, 18:14 pm
@charo(charo)-357: hiyas charoping
13 Jun 2011, 18:14 pm
@charo(charo)-357: no but he is still the top troll
13 Jun 2011, 18:23 pm
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-358:
don’t delay
pillay
i’m not in the moodley
13 Jun 2011, 18:33 pm
@charo(charo)-360:
13 Jun 2011, 18:37 pm
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-361:
i’m cutting boet.
need to get to the barber.
the new loslyf has arrived.
13 Jun 2011, 18:39 pm
@charo(charo)-362:
bro
when you back in SA??\
13 Jun 2011, 19:04 pm
heard Bakkies and FDP will be 100% for sat…..oooooh vok sharkies….best we pray for a brumbies win!
Also read Brussow , P Burger and Benjamn all fit and well…[ maybe brussow]…
stormers…oppas !!
13 Jun 2011, 19:08 pm
News just in: “Loftus is sold out for Saturday”
Bloody awesome!
13 Jun 2011, 19:09 pm
@grant10(grant10)-364:
Cheetahs confirmed he is still injured (Brussow), so you won’t see him, but all the wings are fit.
13 Jun 2011, 19:39 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-366: would have nice to have seen brussow…..but damn we need a win….hoping chiefs do the business….perhaps top spot still a realistic hope then
13 Jun 2011, 19:39 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-365: what a Sat in prospect!!
13 Jun 2011, 19:42 pm
@grant10(grant10)-368:
Its going to be awesome!
13 Jun 2011, 19:50 pm
How’s AC going to play it?
I just can’t see him ‘risking’ anything by changing personnel unless his hand is forced by injury. Obviously PG will be back and hopefully DD at scrum half, but I’ll guess the rest of the starting 15 is largely the same.
I just wish he’d shake things up a bit, especially from 11-15.
13 Jun 2011, 20:05 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-370:
The obvious way would be the same as they should have done this week:
1. Kick for the corners and trust your lineout
2. Pin them in their own half with robust gainline defense.
3. Attack them directly with your mauls, forward charges and midfield crashes.
4. Use your strike runners to grab chances in the loose.
5. Keep the score ticking over with penalties and drop goals.
In other words the traditional SA game.
And of course you should keep back some firepower on the bench, to ignite the game with 20 to go.
The only problem is that all of the above require Accurate Execution, which is coach talk for not dropping the ball.
13 Jun 2011, 20:08 pm
I can’t imagine Habana getting dropped at this stage of the season. but hopefully AC has the balls to move Aplon to FB and at least that’s one problem area taken care of.
15. Aplon
14. JdV
13. Fourie
12. JdJ
11. Habana
10. Grant
9. DD
8. Duane
7. Flo
6. Schalk
5. Bekker
4. Van Zyl
3. Brock
2. Liebenberg
1. Blaauw
4/3 split on the bench
16. Fourie
17. Kitsoff
18. Elstadt
19. Koster
20. My mother in law
21. Coleman
22. Sadie
13 Jun 2011, 20:20 pm
@funkyzoo(funkyzoo)-371:
The bones of the side can and will stay the same as last weekend, but 1 or 2 crucial changes are needed for the Cheetahs. Tiaan has to regain his spot as first pick hooker, Fouries impact from the bench is potentially far more devastating than the other way around and his put ins to the lineout were shocking on Saturday. Hence, van Zyl to start and shore things up with Koster to come on with Fourie and Sadie in the second half *when* things get looser.
It’s important the Stormers assert authority through the set pieces early on and try and build a lead through structure. The game will be loose and Aplon at 15 is essential as well as JdJ to dance through the midfield.
Man, Stormers have the personnel, they just need to use them effectively. Horses for course AC.
13 Jun 2011, 20:38 pm
just watched the game again and can ,safely,come to the conclusion that habana and january had a massive second half and in fact january played a massive role in bekker’s try,thus securing the stormers that all important bonus point.saturday’s game called out for the magic of earl rose after coleman’s struggles and ac must be kicking himself for not selecting the pearl on the bench.
13 Jun 2011, 20:42 pm
sssssh, dont tell Premenstrual at Dawn for “fear” of ruining my hard-earned reputation, but Big Vic is a ‘Great’ lineout forward, one of the very best
13 Jun 2011, 20:58 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-375:
but he sure does seem to be a slow-healer. Fortunately the titanium-reinforced arm blades available these days have helped elongate his career
altho
possibly helped shortened others.
13 Jun 2011, 21:01 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-372:
Good team, but I would start with Koster at 8 to provide more speed against the fleet footed Cheetahs- Vermeulen is in any event probably a bit overplayed- Coleman is also out injured (confirmed) so Earl Rose will have to cover no 10.
The reserve scrumhalf must be either Schreuder or Groom.
13 Jun 2011, 21:07 pm
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-363:
was due back at the end of this month but will have to delay to end july.
they are finalising a replacement for my successor.
13 Jun 2011, 21:08 pm
bulls vs sharks is a tough game.
the bulls do look be hitting their “emotional edge of the edge” mentality.
I wonder about fitness levels and fatigue, the seaso n is now getting long. Bulls management did say earlier in the season that they changed their fitness focus for this season.
Is it starting to pay divedends when you start to see the upward curve in performance from the backrowers?
Dewald Potgieter was the best looseforward on the park for my money.
And matfield…that oke is a machine. How many tackles does he put in every game. not your traditional hardforward…but near enough an extra looseforward.
I’m thrilled that the bulls are playing at 17:00 on the weekend. I’ve always felt that they are a little iffy performance wise playing at 19:00.Still better when they play at 15:00 though.
13 Jun 2011, 21:11 pm
the cheetahs in bloem will be a very tough game.
It’s not inconcievable that all the top 3 sides lose this weekend.
hurricanes look pretty decent last weekend.
reds look like they are on their last legs…and play away to the chiefs.
stormers in bloem.
could be some topsy turvy results this weekend.
13 Jun 2011, 21:18 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-376: Two breaks of the forearm, hence the protection.
It was already present in 99/00 when he played for the Griquas.
Gareth Thomas also wears one and and Dan Browne to name a few
Referees check it out before a match and it is IRB approved
13 Jun 2011, 21:39 pm
just rolling out an old rib-tickler of mine for old times sake, JL1. Which is probably what Vic was aiming for before it slipped down Byrons nose first.
13 Jun 2011, 21:44 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-382: Speculative and his shoulder hurt Byron
13 Jun 2011, 21:53 pm
for rugby’s sake, hope sbw doesn’t become the next butch james.
let him get some more union exposure and a few yellow cards.
and then let him learn how union players tackle.
13 Jun 2011, 21:53 pm
The usual slip sliding two face hero riding double deluxe dubious totem pole worshiping garbage
Stormers under Burger got Bulls bevrees en befok, that’s all that happened, Matfied or Bulls didn’t dominate anybody. Burger and Bekker and Coetsee and co. simply choked on their own screwed up overindulgence self imploding vrees. Once they eventually shook it off late in the 70th minute thats when they started to play, and within that last 5 or 6 minutes, they put Bulls to the sword which is what they were supposed to do the previous 75 minutes, and they scored a try and almost a second after the hooter which they couldn’t get their psyches out of bevrees freeze mode for 70 odd minutes before that.
Stormers beat themselves, Bulls just pitched up at Newlands but Stormers went into Bulls bevrees mode and choked, simple, Matfield never mastered Bekker. Bekker, Burger, Habana, and co. beneeked themselves for 70 odd minutes that’s all.
13 Jun 2011, 22:32 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-385: Not even Chuck Norris can beat the Stormers! The only thing that can beat the Stormers … is the Stormers themselves!!!
You must be on some good **** brother…
13 Jun 2011, 22:32 pm
I remember someone posting here about 3 weeks ago that he was more scared of the Rebels away than the Bulls at home. A big Stormers man. Now, looking back, lets do some math.
Stormers beat Rebels by 37 points away, and lost to Bulls by 3 at home. That is 40. If one ad just 10 points for away/home difference, that is 50.
My conclusion is that it can be compared to picking Italy to beat the All Blacks in Auckland.
13 Jun 2011, 22:58 pm
@JL1(JL1)-383:
yuh a-huh, sure it was. My guess is its easier to swing a ‘broken twice’ arm safe in the nose’ledge that the arm aint gonna break no more.
I recall someone recently, in the immediate aftermath of the Highlanders vs Lions match, surmised that only ‘Bok players’ and not mere Super-players, got suspended/cited for incidents like that. Cant be right all the time, old boy.
Matfield is a Great player, the opinions expressed here earlier in the season that he should be dumped were hilarious to anyone outside SA. Funny and eloquent fella off the field too.
13 Jun 2011, 23:04 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-353: Transie stop lying to TheAgent, you are a Cheetah – especially if the calming influence of Corne Uys plays on the day!
14 Jun 2011, 00:16 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-14: Didn’t he say that because Gert Smal was their forwards coach?
14 Jun 2011, 02:13 am
Botox name of the game for Bulls
June 13 2011 at 09:28am
By NTANDO MAKHUBU
” The secret is out. Top sporting personalities have beauty treatments – including having their lips plumped. ”
Mof Myburg se moffies.
14 Jun 2011, 02:14 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-388: BP, dont cast aspersions on their Big Vic…
he obviously forked out the extra money and got the deluxe armband model…
it has a unique feature, apparently all you do is add just ice… four cubes is usually sufficient…
14 Jun 2011, 02:51 am
How predictable the old bakkie-bouer is surprise surprise… I said exactly that a week ago!
If the Stormers lose in his warped mind it will be because Burger was a **** captain and nothing to do with Matfield being awesome… and if the Bulls win vice-versa… what a predictable old cnut!
14 Jun 2011, 05:01 am
No mention of Butch’s citing…this is not journalism this is fake.
Naas has a very vlaid point: http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Springboks/Naas-Butch-could-cost-Boks-20110613
I think its time to ditch Keo and move to Ruggaworld.
14 Jun 2011, 07:23 am
@KevinRack(KevinRack)-394: dont let the door smack you too hard on the way out
14 Jun 2011, 07:42 am
@KevinRack(KevinRack)-394:
Smartest thing you’ve said all season
14 Jun 2011, 07:50 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-365: about time. When last was Loftus filled to capacity?? With the 2010 Soccer World Cup maybe.
14 Jun 2011, 09:55 am
@KevinRack(KevinRack)-394: Come now Kevin. You know we don’t come to KEO for the rugby, but to be entertained by the sanctimonious, ignorant, arrogant, belligerent and tragic comments. The other sites are for grown ups.
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