Matfield leads charge on Samoa

Matfield leads charge on Samoa

26 Sep 2011

Victor Matfield will captain the Springboks this Friday while Bismarck du Plessis has been favoured as the starting hooker.

Coach Peter de Villiers has made seven changes in all to the 22 that played against Namibia last Thursday. Du Plessis will play alongside his brother Jannie and another Sharks team-mate in Beast Mtawarira in the front-row, while Heinrich Brussow resumes his role as the starting No 6.

JP Pietersen returns to the starting side on the right wing, and Jean de Villiers is included on the bench having recovered from a rib injury.

The Bok coach said that Bakkies Botha was not considered because of a hamstring injury sustained in the game against Fiji. Botha has struggled with an Achilles ailment since arriving in New Zealand, but Peter de Villiers said the new injury is not serious and that the management is confident he will recover in due course.

De Villiers added that it was the first time in this competition that he had so many players available for selection. Twenty-nine of the 30 Boks trained at Owen Delany Park in Taupo on Monday, with Botha the only absentee. However, Butch James (hip injury) didn’t participate in the kicking drills and it is for this reason that he hasn’t been risked.

De Villiers believes the side he’s picked reflects the threat of the opposition. Bismarck du Plessis is bound to give the Boks more thrust at the set-piece, mobility around the park, and an added dimension on the ground. The return of Matfield is also significant, and the Boks will look to use their lineout to maximum effect.

‘Your set-piece is very important when you play against the island teams,’ said Matfield. ‘If you give them too much ball, they are going to hurt you. We will be trying to apply the pressure at the set-piece. It’s not going to be easy, because Samoa are a different side [compared to the last time the Boks played them in 2007].

‘They’ve been together for a longer period [before the World Cup] and they’re a well coached side. They play with structure and I’m sure they will still look to play with some freedom within those structures. They are going to be very difficult to wear down.’

De Villiers feels that Samoa have sacrificed the flair that has defined them in the past by adopting a more measured approach.

‘If you move away from a certain style you are going to forfeit something in order to gain something else,’ the Bok coach said. ‘They’re looking to keep the ball longer and are very strong at the breakdown. Their ball retention is good. So they’ve gained a lot of things, and now you can actually analyse their game.’

Bismarck du Plessis told this website on Monday that the Boks are wary of the Samoa scrum. De Villiers also believes the islanders’ set-piece impressed in the recent game against Fiji.

‘They annihilated them. It’s something we have looked at closely,’ said De Villiers.

Springboks – 15 Pat Lambie, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 John Smit, 17 Gurthro Steenkamp, 18 CJ van der Linde, 19 Willem Alberts, 20 Francois Louw, 21 Francois Hougaard, 22 Jean de Villiers.

By Jon Cardinelli, in Taupo


87 Comments

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  • 51.Kitchener: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:13 pm

    @Slumtown(Slumtown)-47:

    I’m aware of where the name comes from, old bean, but it still begs the question how you Dutchmen would know what it tastes like. Salt is not something you can see, hear or feel, there’s only one way you can tell if something is salty or not and I’m surprised that you traditionally macho Boer chaps would admit to that.

    Oh and if it dangles all the way down to the sea then it can’t be that shrivelled, can it?

  • 52.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:14 pm

    Yo slumtown

    Gunther has a footlong black thing for me

    You think that beats a shrivelled up salty d I c k?

  • 53.JL1: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:16 pm

    @Kitchener(Kitchener)-51: Maybe your women told us, innit?

  • 54.Slumtown: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:17 pm

    @Kitchener(Kitchener)-51: well dear sir – anything that dangles in the sea is 1. salty (no need for a taste test) and 2. becomes shrivelled (well at least partly) lol. All part of the banter. No harm intended. Rooinek.

  • 55.Slumtown: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:18 pm

    @Dawn(Dawn)-52: lol – now I´m ahem going to reserve the right to remain salty – I mean silent. :)

  • 56.shooter: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:18 pm

    Interesting that the players and journalists talk so much

  • 57.Slumtown: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:20 pm

    @Kitchener(Kitchener)-51: and BTW – you chaps are playing some decent rugby for the first time in ages – just a pity there are so few englishmen in your team. And that Lawes fellow – rather thuggish isnt he? He´s in for a nasty surprise come finals.

  • 58.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:23 pm

    @Slumtown(Slumtown)-57:Lawes is a chav…he was morosed that he was in camp when his mates were looting :-)

  • 59.Kitchener: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:28 pm

    @Slumtown(Slumtown)-57:

    I think you might find it’ll be Courtney Lawes dishing out the nasty surprises in the final . . . except it won’t be your Steroid-Boks playing against him.

  • 60.Jinx2: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:28 pm

    @Slumtown(Slumtown)-57:

    Pity there’s so few Englishmen in yours too.

  • 61.Jinx2: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:29 pm

    Courtney Lawes? Transgender? I just can’t put a face to this unknown entity.

  • 62.shooter: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:29 pm

    the hour i’ll mention the english try time celebrations against Romania

  • 63.Nguni Stud: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:33 pm

    Spies, Jacques, Smit and Champ need a break. The Steyn Bros can soldier on I think. Would have loved to see Smit benched. Going forward, I think the 5-2 bench will feature quite prominently in our set up. Pity Butch has not made the side.

  • 64.shooter: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:33 pm

    @shooter(shooter)-62: and Romania’s best player wasn’t even there.

  • 65.Nguni Stud: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:34 pm

    Champ would be Schalk

  • 66.shooter: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:38 pm

    @shooter(shooter)-64: kill them to a boring death

  • 67.shooter: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:44 pm

    what is wrong with kwas?
    kwas what is wrong with you?

  • 68.Blokkies: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:50 pm

    Well for a start he calls himself ‘kwas’…..

  • 69.mvk: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:54 pm

    Keep plod on the bench!!!

  • 70.RL: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 22:57 pm

    I don’t like this idea of having 3 faties on the bench … lose 2 backs to injury then it’s game over!

    And this just to accommodate Plod. Fortunately this will do against the minnows.

  • 71.Slumtown: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 23:07 pm

    @Jinx2(Jinx2)-60: You do realise what you just said makes no sense whatsoever? The less Englishmen in the Bok team the better.

  • 72.shooter: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 23:12 pm

    @Blokkies(Blokkies)-68: @Jinx2(Jinx2)-61: lol

  • 73.fantasticbarnsmell: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 23:16 pm

    @Ngqawa(Ngqawa)-5: agreed, would have been nice to have Chili there instead

  • 74.charo: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 23:27 pm

    @Slumtown(Slumtown)-71:

    have to have some brains in the team – surely?

  • 75.Slumtown: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 23:35 pm

    @charo(charo)-74: ja keep telling yourself that buddy.

  • 76.jocuba: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 23:43 pm

    @Kitchener(Kitchener)-59: Please, please… the great pretender… Courtney Lawes… just whats missing from Willem Alberts’ collection.

  • 77.Slumtown: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 23:48 pm

    @charo(charo)-74: certainly only one in the team at present – Smit, du Plessis, Matfield, Botha, Rossouw, Burger, Brussouw, Spies, Du Preez, Steyn, De Villiers, Fourie, and yep Lambie. The rest most certainly arent englishmen hehe. The english ones tend to go to Australia or blighty – Vickerman, Pocock, Stevens. Montgomery was the only one in recent history in the Bok squad. lol. Anyways – just pulling legs no-one get serious.

  • 78.Slumtown: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 23:49 pm

    @jocuba(jocuba)-76: Little Chavster is going to get his little rump kicked. I cant wait.

  • 79.charo: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 23:56 pm

    @Slumtown(Slumtown)-77:

    actually never really thought about it before.

    but now that i do, seems we are a stronger team with with a few english-speaking saffas (note, not englishmen) in the boks.

    under teich, we had our best run ever – and with a soutie coach.

    8)

  • 80.whatever: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 23:57 pm

    @Kitchener(Kitchener)-59:

    By jove old chap, you still around what what? You obviously admire the well muscled bodies of the Boks very much what what, you old gyser, you old naughtty boy you.

    Just a pity that the English team is made up of all the fellows from the colonies what what . No home grown fellows in that English side what what?

    And talking about your favourite subject………..rogering,…. better bend over now cause the nasty mean Scotts are gonna do some buggering this week-end what what………. might be time for a pork pie and a pint of warm ale what what!

  • 81.Jinx2: Reply to this comment
    26 Sep 2011, 23:58 pm

    @Slumtown(Slumtown)-71:

    Oh *****. A Nazi. Last time I was in Slumtown I met such nice people. I was winding up the Kitchener facist. English/Afrikaner South Africans are the same thing to me. Look at the English cricket team. Kitchener would turn in his grave.
    Slums, I was hitching back from the Transkei with my girlfriend in 1981. This geezer and his girlfriend gave us a ride and we spent the night at their place. Ooops. Maybe I should rephrase that.

  • 82.charo: Reply to this comment
    27 Sep 2011, 00:04 am

    right, need to catch a redeye twin-engined shonky little aircraft to a dodgey airport in some decrepit little west african town.
    need to keep my wits about me.
    g’night

  • 83.jocuba: Reply to this comment
    27 Sep 2011, 00:04 am

    Kitchener… here is a little sample of what is in store for your boys… & I mean boys… when the men arrive…
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47WS6qMtdsI
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDX4QY36d8E&feature=related
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8zSrvdj5PQ&feature=related

    This is the bog-standard cavalry laddy!!! (Will Greenwood might even convince you if you won’t listen to me)

  • 84.Slumtown: Reply to this comment
    27 Sep 2011, 01:05 am

    @charo(charo)-79: hehe I dont really think it matters.

  • 85.Slumtown: Reply to this comment
    27 Sep 2011, 01:10 am

    @Jinx2(Jinx2)-81: Hahah that sounds well suspect. my what a big mackerel you have there. Hey i´m also a person of nice. Just a sharp tongue lol.

  • 86.SHARKattack: Reply to this comment
    27 Sep 2011, 07:53 am

    now, jdv to go on for JP in the second half. awesome!

  • 87.wpstormerbok: Reply to this comment
    27 Sep 2011, 12:04 pm

    PDV is getting his charges im prime condition for the knockouts.

    Only changes will be JS starting as captain, Bakkies if fit at 4 and Gurthro starting at 1.

    Louw will drop from the bench should Bakkies recover.

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