Matfield to mentor Bulls forwards
20 Nov 2012
Victor Matfield has been named the Bulls forwards and attack coach for the 2013 Super Rugby season.
Matfield comes on board in an official capacity after serving as a consultant in 2012. He will replace Johan van Graan, who made the step up to the Springboks earlier this season.
The Bulls have made a couple of other appointments to offset the loss of coaches that have joined the Boks. Pine Pienaar replaces John McFarland as defence coach, while Andre Volsteedt is the new head of strength and conditioning.
The Bulls have also brought in former Bok flyhalf Derick Hougaard as a junior skills and kicking coach. Blue Bulls U21 coach Nollis Marais has been promoted to the position of Vodacom Cup coach.
115 Comments
20 Nov 2012, 11:49 am
Pierre Spies has also been confirmed as the Bulls captain for 2013.
20 Nov 2012, 11:51 am
HM will have to appoint a new head cheerleader in the Supersport studio now.
But more seriously, good luck to Victor, lots of experience and knowledge he can impart on the youngsters.
20 Nov 2012, 11:52 am
@Beertjie-1: Arno Botha’s nightmare begins.
20 Nov 2012, 11:56 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-3: Loose forward and centre are the positions with the highest injury rate. Arno Botha will get plenty of game time.
20 Nov 2012, 11:59 am
Whothefuckonearth calls their child “Nollis”?
20 Nov 2012, 12:04 pm
Matfield attack coach? Oh god.
Forwards coach I can understand and appreciate but attack coach? Skop ‘n jag coming up again.
20 Nov 2012, 12:17 pm
@trupisero-5: The same parents who make their children wear crocs.
20 Nov 2012, 12:25 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-3: Mostly yours and Vermeulen’s
20 Nov 2012, 12:29 pm
Possibly the greatest rugby mind to have been produced by sa stays with the bulls
Cool
Superrugby medal 4 here we go!
20 Nov 2012, 12:34 pm
Hopefully this will count as conflict of interest for Victor in the SuperSport studio as he can’t be trusted to give an unbiased view of Heyneke’s performance with the boks. The dude is already defending Heyneke’s style of play so much, it’s actually sickening.
20 Nov 2012, 12:36 pm
@capebull-8: I like Arno Botha. See him as a real prospect. How sad that USNblowup Barbie will be there to block his progress every step of the way…..
20 Nov 2012, 12:38 pm
@lesiba-10:
He had to resign from Supersport
20 Nov 2012, 12:58 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-9:
Maybe not next year but you guys might surprise in 2014, especially if you go with this team.
15 Blommetjies
14 Spies
13 Small-Smith
12 Serfontein
11 Basson
10 Pollard
09 Hougaard
8 Botha
7 J Potgieter
6 D Potgieter
5 J Kruger
4 Willemse
3 M vd Merwe
2 Ralepelle
1 J Schoeman
16 Mbonambi
17 Greyling
18 W Kruger
19 F vd Merwe
20 Stegmann
21 Vermaak
22 M Steyn
23 Engelbrecht
20 Nov 2012, 13:04 pm
Only the Bulls would have forward coaches doubling as attack coaches.
No wonder the Bok outside backs stood around freezing their nads off against the Scots on Saturday.
Matfield defended the Boks playing style against Mallett’s comments on Saturday. So expect much of the same from the Bulls next year, oh joy.
20 Nov 2012, 13:28 pm
@mxhosa-13: That will never happen. the team will be very close to the following:
15. Kirchner
14. Akona
13. JJ Eng/Mapoe
12. Olivier
11. Basson
10. Steyn
9. Hougaardt
8. Spies
7. Potgieter (D/J)
6. Stegman
5. Kruger
4. Flip vd Merwe
3. W Kruger
2. Chilliboy
1. Greyling
20 Nov 2012, 13:36 pm
@Beertjie-15: Nice team Beertjie. I think Marcel vd Merwe, the new signing from the Cheetahs will feature in that team very often.
Overall, the new coaching staff looks very good. And we are reataining some of our intellectual property by appointing Victor as an assistant coach.
I just do not rate Pine Pienaar at all. I can not see how he became defensive coach. I though he was going to be fired after our dreadfull CC season.
20 Nov 2012, 13:40 pm
@lesiba-10: What else do you expect? It is the same game plan that won Victor and the boys 3 Super Rugby medals. The basics of the game plan will remain the same however they will tweak it to keep up with the ever changing game.
20 Nov 2012, 13:44 pm
@Stoetbul9-16: That will be the core of the team but due to injuries and the long season, that 15 will very seldom take the field. All the young players like Marcel, Arno Botha, Venter etc will feature often. With 8 players on the bench now as well, there will be lots of oppertunity to give the youngsters a chance.
Hopefully Pine can settle in better in a less prominent postion.
20 Nov 2012, 13:45 pm
HaHaHa
The Bulls will be just as fecked as the Boks are.
Matfield forwards ANd attack coach!
These guys are soooo misguided…….
HAHAHAHAHAHA…..
I think I’m going to soil myself laughing.
At least we won’t have to listen to him on supersport anymore.
Haahaaahaaahaaa
Seriously….I can’t stop
20 Nov 2012, 13:50 pm
What a joke
20 Nov 2012, 13:55 pm
Pine Pienaar the defense coach? What a joke! Griquas scored three tries in the first 10 minutes against the Blou Bulle in Kimberley. with Pienaar in charge of the Bulle. Their defense was as open as a prossie’s legs.Pienaar can’t coach a snakes-and-ladders team. He should have been on the first Translux back to Bloem in October.
20 Nov 2012, 14:00 pm
@willievz-20: This is no joke
It does tell us why Matfield has been so eager to sing van Graan’s praises and defend Meyer’s gameplan and selections on SS, though 
It also explains Matfield’s (a frikkin ex-lock of all things) obsession with the kicking game when in studio. It’s all he ever waffles on about.
When a lock who talks kicking is appointed as your attack coach, you know your sh y te is going to get real, helluva fast.
20 Nov 2012, 14:01 pm
Victor is a great player with years of experience.
And with a face for Radio and an accent for the deaf channel.
Perfect for the pinkies up “Norf”
20 Nov 2012, 14:04 pm
@willievz-20: Bro.
It’s better than having him sit there in the Supersports studio saying “our kicks need to be better”
20 Nov 2012, 14:06 pm
@stormersboy-24: Yeah – the other teams know they won’t have to alter their approach one iota from this year’s to beat them.
20 Nov 2012, 14:08 pm
This is good news
20 Nov 2012, 14:09 pm
@stormersboy-23: All I can say is that I reckon the most important fellow listed on this sheet of Bulls coaches, is this soldier: Dr Jannie Botha – Life Skills, Mental Coach and Counsellor (with emphasis on the counsellor role….spiritual advisor side of things – because wailing and prayers there are going to be a-plenty, and that’s just the players
20 Nov 2012, 14:14 pm
@stormersboy-23:
Ha ha, had to laugh at that one
20 Nov 2012, 14:20 pm
This is why fans are leaving SA rugby union in droves. You have an ex forward appointed as forwards and attack coach.
1. Give ball to scrummie (RETURN)
2. Wait for his kick (SKOP)
3. Run after ball (JAG)
How exactly will he implement and revolutionize creative backline play?
He won’t.
20 Nov 2012, 14:20 pm
Nothing new here for Victor.
He’s been coaching the Boks and the Bulls since 2007.
20 Nov 2012, 14:25 pm
“Pk boys, when he kicks you run like there is no tomorrow hey”
“Hey boys jus give de ball to scrummie then turn and sommer run your gat off hey”
“Hey boys i am tuning you straight – if i catch you running and passing i will like skop your gat monday at practice. Passing is like dangerous as we need to protect de scoreline at all costs my chinas”
Bye bye rugby. Boring.
Same reason nobody pays to watch me do my analytics work…
20 Nov 2012, 14:26 pm
@Johannes_Lombard-29: Jaaaa Johannes, I must agree with you. I have the world of respect for Matfield as a player, and as a Forwards coach IM sure he would be great.
But as an attack coach? Im not so sure.
20 Nov 2012, 14:30 pm
One thing he does well is analyze the opposition.
Who knows, it might turn out to be a master stroke
20 Nov 2012, 14:39 pm
@stormersboy-24:
look it’s no secret that supersport fired him as a result of his movember effort which lead to an unfortunate case of mistaken identity with the DEA and a member of the Medellin Cartel.
20 Nov 2012, 14:43 pm
Attack and forwards coach????I guess that’s how they roll in blue bull country nowadays.
20 Nov 2012, 14:44 pm
@Johannes_Lombard-31: Apply prezzzzzzzur.
20 Nov 2012, 14:46 pm
The good thing about this is that the Stormers will continue their dominance over the Bulls.
20 Nov 2012, 14:51 pm
@gunther-34: Something like this guy??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6z0Zay9itk
20 Nov 2012, 14:55 pm
Was wondering when SS was gonna let Matfield go, his ‘jean pant’ accent was not really working. I’m as Afrikaans as the next guy but if Kobus Wiesse can do it then anybody can, sorry Vic, was nice while it lasted. Bulls to be thrid on the SR SA log.
20 Nov 2012, 14:57 pm
@goodstuff-39: Some advice to Afrikaans commentators (or Afrikaans people in general) when attempting the English tongue:
(i) Drop the “ja” before a sentence.
(ii) Drop the “you know” after a sentence.
(ii) Speak slowly and with plenty of pauses.
20 Nov 2012, 14:57 pm
Two things should never go together in a coaching title – forwards/ attack.
The backline coach should be the attack coach not the bloody forward coach, typical bulls ****.
20 Nov 2012, 14:59 pm
@willievz-40: “Ja, I thinks the rucks was good today, lots of pressure at the breakdown, allowed the forwards to dominate, I think we is improving, you know.”
20 Nov 2012, 15:01 pm
@stormersboy-38:
I never knew Capo bowled.
20 Nov 2012, 15:02 pm
@gunther-43: Dont mess withe the *****.
20 Nov 2012, 15:45 pm
As EVERYBODY apart from the Bulls faithful have pointed out, the very idea that the roles of forwards coach and attack coach can be combined is at the heart of the Bulls’ and now the Boks’ attacking impotency. What a shame.
20 Nov 2012, 15:47 pm
@stormersboy-44:
Poodlefucker?
20 Nov 2012, 16:08 pm
What a bunch of one trick ponies we don’t have on this site. Because some of you have only one brain cell you think Matfield is also the same.
Matfield is an astute student of the game and has shown in many tests and SR how he can out think the opposition and not just in the lineouts. How he has been coach does not necessarily means that’s how he will end up as a coach.
20 Nov 2012, 16:15 pm
@gunther-46: no, don’t mess with the j esus. It’s a line from the movie The Big Lebowski, An absolute classic if you haven’t seen it.
20 Nov 2012, 16:17 pm
@Amerifikaner-47:
Whatever, I’m just glad he’s gone from supersport and that it’s the Bulls that will “benefit” and not another team.
20 Nov 2012, 16:36 pm
If the bulls management want to confuse their fans they have done a good job on me,no harm to victor but for him to be attack/forwards coach and that arsehole pine pienaar to be defence coach after his truly awful CC campaign is confusing me,maybe it will confuse the opposition as well.
20 Nov 2012, 16:38 pm
@Craven-14: @stormersboy-48: @gunther-46: All this arrogance after winning 1 Ccup in 11 years.
20 Nov 2012, 16:38 pm
@stormersboy-48:
Yes.
20 Nov 2012, 16:42 pm
@capebull-51:
Gunther is a Bulls supporter, you ignoramus
20 Nov 2012, 16:44 pm
@TooMuchRugby-53: he talks like a Strompie supporter, you ignoramusitus….tus
20 Nov 2012, 16:50 pm
@TooMuchRugby-53:
@capebull-54:
Quality gentlemen.
20 Nov 2012, 16:51 pm
‘Matfield named forward and ATTACK coach’
More proof that SA rugby have no intention to develop or enhance the skills and attacking standards of its players! Nz will forever be ahead in this department if SA rugby keep on appointing mediocre and inexperienced retired players (with ego’s the size of blue bull locks) at the highest level. Another example, after a few seasons with UCT Flecky got the highest attacking coaching job at the Stormers. Novices like Fleck and Matfield would probably never get a top job like this in Nz! The Stormers’ attacking record is proof of this inadequacy .
This surely must be a joke… When they had Todd Louden as their backline coach they were the best attacking side in the Super 12. Why not appoint a foreign coach once more?
Why isnt SA rugby learning their lesson? SA needs foreign help if they ever hope to be as effective on attack as the kiwis. The local backline skills/attack coaches just dont have what it takes to develop players and backlines to be the best they can be!
And further more, why would the wealthiest team not buy a coach with decent credentials? Matfield might be a great coach one day, but tell me how many years of coaching experience has he gained from talking k#k on supersport’s couch?
20 Nov 2012, 16:55 pm
Matfields starts every single sentence: ‘Uh…Ja….’ and then the broken English kicks in.
20 Nov 2012, 16:58 pm
@Jeez-57:
How does it even happen that someone with the name “Victor Matfield” is actually not English-speaking.
We truly have a unique country.
20 Nov 2012, 17:07 pm
@TooMuchRugby-58:
Uh… Ja… its definitely very unique hey.
haha
20 Nov 2012, 17:20 pm
@capebull-51: I can see how you could see my post 48 as an arrogant reference to WP superiority…….
NOT
20 Nov 2012, 17:48 pm
@stormersboy-60:
That rug really tied the room together.
20 Nov 2012, 17:49 pm
20 Nov 2012, 18:01 pm
Matfield has become a much more accomplished speaker over time and I don’t think his grasp of verbs and vowels made any difference to the opposition as he messed up their line outs.
He is a South African and a Springbok great and even though he played for the Bulls I for one have the utmost respect for what he achieved on the field and off and find it shortsighted to judge a man on his accent.
Just my opinion
20 Nov 2012, 18:17 pm
Remember Van Graan is the Boks’ attacking coach and they’ve got less penetration than an marshmallow. Who says the Broeders aren’t running SA rugby anymore?
20 Nov 2012, 18:29 pm
@ufo-61: hahahaha it ******* did dude! This agression will not stand!
20 Nov 2012, 18:36 pm
@stormersboy-65:
We’re talking about unchecked aggression here, Dude.
20 Nov 2012, 19:08 pm
@ufo-66: I knew we were kindred spirits.
20 Nov 2012, 19:16 pm
Darkness warshed over the Dude…
darker’n a black steer’s tookus on a moonless prairie night. There was no bottom.
20 Nov 2012, 19:19 pm
@stormersboy-67:
yeah… some very clever writing in that movie…
20 Nov 2012, 19:23 pm
@ufo-69: Coen brothers at their best. Very good cast too.
Bizarre but that’s life hey?
20 Nov 2012, 19:33 pm
@stormersboy-70:
indeed…
That’sfuckin’ ingenious, if I understand it correctly.
and one for this blog…
Are these the Nazis, Walter?
No, Donny, these men are nihilists, there’s nothing to be afraid of.
20 Nov 2012, 19:41 pm
@ufo-71: yeah, one of them is Flea, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers Bass player……
One of my favorite movies.
20 Nov 2012, 19:51 pm
@stormersboy-72:
yeah… didn’t know it at the time but read about him being in the movie several years later…
wasn’t a huge fan of the chilis pre californication which came out a year or so after the movie…
20 Nov 2012, 20:00 pm
hahahaha.
she’s not my special lady friend man, i’m just helping her to conceive!
20 Nov 2012, 20:02 pm
you’re entering a world of pain
20 Nov 2012, 20:06 pm
@The Rangerman-74:
Mr Treehorn treats objects like women, man!
20 Nov 2012, 20:09 pm
let’s NOT forget, Dude – that keeping wildlife, an amphibious rodent within the city… that aint legal either.
What are you, a fuckingpark Ranger now?
No, I’m…
Who gives ashit about thefucking marmot!!
20 Nov 2012, 20:10 pm
@ufo-73: Ja I thought about going to the concert but then decided that actually I only like a handful of the songs so it wasn’t worth it.
20 Nov 2012, 20:13 pm
Maude Lebowski: What do you do for recreation?
The Dude: Oh, the usual. I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback.
20 Nov 2012, 20:15 pm
Blond Treehorn Thug: [holding up a bowling ball] What the **** is this?
The Dude: Obviously you’re not a golfer.
20 Nov 2012, 20:15 pm
@ufo-76: ow, fcking facist!
20 Nov 2012, 20:16 pm
@stormersboy-78:
if they played only their better songs i may have considered it…
but to me… without john frusciante they just aren’t the same…
like the eagles without don felder… both their replacements are excellent guitarists… but just don’t play with the same subtleties of their predecessors…
still… the eagles bash was one of the best concerts i’ve been to… loved them them rocking it like they did… although a couple of my mates would’ve just preferred their hits…
20 Nov 2012, 20:17 pm
@stormersboy-80:
this is what you get when you …. a stranger in the …***
20 Nov 2012, 20:19 pm
@The Rangerman-81:
There’s just one thing, Dude.
And what’s that?
Do you have to use so many cuss words?
What thefuck you talking about?
Okay, Dude. Have it your way.
20 Nov 2012, 20:20 pm
seeing your nic
20 Nov 2012, 20:24 pm
@ufo-84:
sometimes, sometimes theres a man…
20 Nov 2012, 20:24 pm
My wife’s a pain in theass. She’s always busting my friggin’ agates. My daughter’s married to a real loserbastard. And I got a rash so bad on myass, I can’t even sit down.
But you know me.
I can’t complain.
20 Nov 2012, 20:26 pm
so i take it there was a lot of angst over the boks?
didnt see the game as i was walking the Otter Trail.
just got home this arvie.
what an amazing piece of South Africa, we should all be proud.
20 Nov 2012, 20:27 pm
@The Rangerman-86: A man for his time………
20 Nov 2012, 20:27 pm
speaking of…
.
Jeezus, man, could you change the channel?
Fuckyou man. If you don’t like my ******’ music get your ownfuckin’ cab!
I had a rough…
I pull over and kick yourass out!
Come on, man. I had a rough night and I hate thefuckin’ Eagles, man!
20 Nov 2012, 20:28 pm
@ufo-82: Amen on Frusciante. A genius.I got into Mars Volta for a while because of him.
20 Nov 2012, 20:29 pm
@ufo-90: I was just going to mention the hate the Eagles bit, given the convo….
20 Nov 2012, 20:29 pm
@The Rangerman-86:
@stormersboy-89:
Well, he’s the man for his time and place. He fits right in there!
20 Nov 2012, 20:33 pm
@stormersboy-91:
genius is right…
i knew he played with/for them… mainly in the studio i think… but never really got into them myself…
20 Nov 2012, 20:34 pm
@stormersboy-92:
yeah… penny dropped after i posted that post…
20 Nov 2012, 20:35 pm
@The Rangerman-88:
great stuff ranger… i did it about 10 years ago… really amazing piece of planet there…
20 Nov 2012, 20:37 pm
@The Rangerman-88:
apparently some hikers got stranded out on the trail during those recent heavy rains…
could you see any evidence/damage from the rain…?
20 Nov 2012, 20:39 pm
FYI! The Bulls scored 50 tries in this year’s SR, with van Graan as attack coach and Morne at FH. Only the Hurricanes scored more… Ridicule them all you want, they still scored more than the Lambie’s Sharks, Jantjies’ Lions.
No am not a Bulls fan! Just saying…
20 Nov 2012, 20:39 pm
@ufo-96: too good man, going on holiday for ten days down there in jan.
gonna take the spearguns and try get me some musselcracker or yellowtail.
@stormersboy-92: haha, one of my top 3 movies of all time, my wife gave me the dvd for Christmas years back and my swaer just brought me a Big Lebowski t-shirt back from afghanistan haha.
20 Nov 2012, 20:41 pm
@The Rangerman-99:
cool… enjoy…
20 Nov 2012, 20:43 pm
@The Rangerman-99: Yes it one of mine too.
Have you seen a movie called Grosse Point Blank??
John Cusack. Also a bit “out there” but in a more conventional way if that makes sense….
20 Nov 2012, 20:45 pm
@The Rangerman-99: Did the otter years ago. It’s tougher than it first seems. Weather plays a huge part.
We were lucky. But yes, the garden route is some of the best scenery on the planet.
20 Nov 2012, 20:45 pm
@ufo-97: ja there was some damage and we had to swim blaauwkrans with packs in survival bags even though it was full low tide.
great fun and we only had a bit of drizzle one day and sunshine the rest of the time.
great group of people too. ten of us.
i was the only engelsman so i dubbed myself quota soutie haha.
20 Nov 2012, 20:46 pm
Anyway Dudes…
Am out for the evening…
hope the news is good on eben…
leave with one of the repeated lines very apt for keo…
Shut the **** up, Donny!
20 Nov 2012, 20:48 pm
@The Rangerman-103:
thanks… sounded quite bad at the time…
yeah… very important who you do these things with…
cheers quota soutie…!!
20 Nov 2012, 20:49 pm
@ufo-104: Cheers mate. Have a good one.
Always good chatting.
20 Nov 2012, 20:50 pm
@stormersboy-101: john cusack is one of my all time favourite actors and i was lucky enough to guide him for 4 nights at phinda when i was there.
he was with his mate bill bellamy and his family.
he is one of the funniest guys i have ever met, in fact i laughed until my jaw hurt.
the otter is too good. quite challenging in places but that coastline rivals anything i have seen anywhere else in the world.
20 Nov 2012, 20:51 pm
@ufo-104: hahaha, cheers man
20 Nov 2012, 20:53 pm
@stormersboy-106:
ditto Dude…
20 Nov 2012, 20:57 pm
@The Rangerman-107: Wow. Nice. Im impressed,
Yes, spectacular country we live in. I regularly take the family out and show them the country. Tourists pay big bucks to fly here and see the things that are on our doorstep. Us South Africans are often so obsessed about traveling overseas and how expensive it is but forget that we live in such a beautiful and diverse country.
20 Nov 2012, 21:09 pm
@stormersboy-110: haha, doesnt make me less of a pleb lol.
when i heard he was coming to phinda i put my foot down and demanded to be his guide.
ja, ze germans were at storms river mouth in their HUNDREDS on the day we started.
seriously, it was packed to the rafters, maybe 30 tour busses.
i am more interested in sa and southern africa than anywhere actually.
20 Nov 2012, 21:10 pm
@stormersboy-110: ok bud, nice chatting tjorts!
20 Nov 2012, 21:27 pm
@The Rangerman-112: Cheers!
21 Nov 2012, 01:41 am
I think we will get mapoe for 2014 it will more be something like this post superugby 2014…
15-kirchner
14-mapoe
13-engelbrecht
12-venter
11-basson
10-pollard
9-hougaard
8-spies(c)
7-botha
6-d potgieter
5-kruger
4-vd merwe
3-kruger
2-ralepelle
1-vd merwe
16-mbonambi
17-greyling
18-j potgieter
19-steggman
20-vermaak
21-fouche
22-ndugane
21 Nov 2012, 13:50 pm
@nortierd-63: I’m not judging him on his accent, mine is probably worse.
I’m not trying to be supersport presenter though.
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