Matfield’s passion for rugby still strong
Posted on
April 09, 2012 by
Ken
They say international sportsmen never lose the desire to go out there and play, and this must be especially true in the case of Victor Matfield who played 110 Tests for South Africa.
The lock retired at the end of last year’s World Cup and is now a forwards consultant with the Bulls, the team he led to three SuperRugby titles, as well as working as an analyst for broadcasters SuperSport.
“The change has been a bit different, and I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t miss playing,” Matfield told Midi Olympique.
The 34-year-old was a highly-respected man in rugby circles because of his astute reading of the game and, in particular, his mastery of the lineout that gave the Springboks the most feared set-piece in the world. Thanks to Matfield, South Africa were able to build an entire game plan around their lineout.
And it is Matfield who the new generation of Springbok locks – Andries Bekker, Flip van der Merwe, Eben Etzebeth and Juandre Kruger – will be looking up to for advice.
New Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer worked closely with Matfield at the Bulls and there is little doubt he will call his former captain in on a consultancy basis.
“I’ve always loved the game and I want to stay in the game, so coaching is obviously something I’m looking at seriously. The people I’m working with are the same people I’ve played with for the last four or five years and I know them very well.
“The Bulls job is working in almost the same way as when I was playing – I chat with the guys and then we come to a decision about what we’ll do. I’m just doing the chatting in an office now!” Matfield said.
Matfield ran the Springbok lineout for so long and he was pitch-side for SuperSport last weekend when the Bulls and the Stormers clashed in a massive SuperRugby derby that would determine first place in the conference.
The Stormers triumphed 20-17 in an epic battle and both lineouts impressed Matfield.
“Their lineout is one of the Stormers’ big weapons, but if you look at the stats so far this season, I think the Bulls have done better. In Juandre they have someone who really understands the lineout and manages it well. Both teams have five jumpers, and it’s a big challenge to everyone to counter their lineouts.”
So it seems there is a steady flow of locks waiting to replace a big hole in the Springbok second row left by Matfield’s retirement and Bakkies Botha’s move to Toulon.
Matfield, of course, helped Toulon to a promotion in 2008 and he believes his old mate Bakkies and the club are a perfect fit – a top-class forward going to a top-class club.
“The whole town gets behind the team and there is a tradition that the pack does not stand back for anyone. They need to dominate their opponents and Bakkies will definitely bulk up their pack.
“Their president, Mourad Boudjellal, is also a great guy, he really loves the game and the team.”
Matfield believes Boudjellal, who has been criticised for being too closely involved with the team, is busy baking up something special with Toulon.
“I think he wants to do something huge with Toulon. He’s very passionate, he’s poured his own money into the club and I think it’s great that he’s in the forefront. He’s got the team up in the first division and they might even push for the title this year. They’re also looking at a Heineken Cup place,” Matfield said.
There have been jokes suggesting Matfield will be lonely now that his long-time second-row partner Botha has gone to France, but the former captain said Bakkies is apparently having a great time in France.
“It sounds like Bakkies is really enjoying himself, he and Carl Hayman are cycling together to training and they both like the outdoors. I just told him that he must work on his French because he won’t hear a lot of English!” Matfield said.
Nowadays, mountain bike racing provides a salve for the absence of tough physical contact for Matfield, who does, however, still jump (and often beat) the Bulls locks in lineout training.
Matfield is just one of several Springboks who will no longer be wearing the Green and Gold this year, but his presence on the sideline should solve many of the problems Meyer will have in putting a new generation of stars together.
“If we left and that culture wasn’t instilled in the younger generation, we would not have done our job, so we believe we transferred that same work ethic and really caring and playing for each other. It is looking good at the moment,” Matfield said.
The lock retired at the end of last year’s World Cup and is now a forwards consultant with the Bulls, the team he led to three SuperRugby titles, as well as working as an analyst for broadcasters SuperSport.
“The change has been a bit different, and I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t miss playing,” Matfield told Midi Olympique.
The 34-year-old was a highly-respected man in rugby circles because of his astute reading of the game and, in particular, his mastery of the lineout that gave the Springboks the most feared set-piece in the world. Thanks to Matfield, South Africa were able to build an entire game plan around their lineout.
And it is Matfield who the new generation of Springbok locks – Andries Bekker, Flip van der Merwe, Eben Etzebeth and Juandre Kruger – will be looking up to for advice.
New Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer worked closely with Matfield at the Bulls and there is little doubt he will call his former captain in on a consultancy basis.
“I’ve always loved the game and I want to stay in the game, so coaching is obviously something I’m looking at seriously. The people I’m working with are the same people I’ve played with for the last four or five years and I know them very well.
“The Bulls job is working in almost the same way as when I was playing – I chat with the guys and then we come to a decision about what we’ll do. I’m just doing the chatting in an office now!” Matfield said.
Matfield ran the Springbok lineout for so long and he was pitch-side for SuperSport last weekend when the Bulls and the Stormers clashed in a massive SuperRugby derby that would determine first place in the conference.
The Stormers triumphed 20-17 in an epic battle and both lineouts impressed Matfield.
“Their lineout is one of the Stormers’ big weapons, but if you look at the stats so far this season, I think the Bulls have done better. In Juandre they have someone who really understands the lineout and manages it well. Both teams have five jumpers, and it’s a big challenge to everyone to counter their lineouts.”
So it seems there is a steady flow of locks waiting to replace a big hole in the Springbok second row left by Matfield’s retirement and Bakkies Botha’s move to Toulon.
Matfield, of course, helped Toulon to a promotion in 2008 and he believes his old mate Bakkies and the club are a perfect fit – a top-class forward going to a top-class club.
“The whole town gets behind the team and there is a tradition that the pack does not stand back for anyone. They need to dominate their opponents and Bakkies will definitely bulk up their pack.
“Their president, Mourad Boudjellal, is also a great guy, he really loves the game and the team.”
Matfield believes Boudjellal, who has been criticised for being too closely involved with the team, is busy baking up something special with Toulon.
“I think he wants to do something huge with Toulon. He’s very passionate, he’s poured his own money into the club and I think it’s great that he’s in the forefront. He’s got the team up in the first division and they might even push for the title this year. They’re also looking at a Heineken Cup place,” Matfield said.
There have been jokes suggesting Matfield will be lonely now that his long-time second-row partner Botha has gone to France, but the former captain said Bakkies is apparently having a great time in France.
“It sounds like Bakkies is really enjoying himself, he and Carl Hayman are cycling together to training and they both like the outdoors. I just told him that he must work on his French because he won’t hear a lot of English!” Matfield said.
Nowadays, mountain bike racing provides a salve for the absence of tough physical contact for Matfield, who does, however, still jump (and often beat) the Bulls locks in lineout training.
Matfield is just one of several Springboks who will no longer be wearing the Green and Gold this year, but his presence on the sideline should solve many of the problems Meyer will have in putting a new generation of stars together.
“If we left and that culture wasn’t instilled in the younger generation, we would not have done our job, so we believe we transferred that same work ethic and really caring and playing for each other. It is looking good at the moment,” Matfield said.
matfield you should have nevr left the soringboks this new generatio of locks lack the drive which you and bakies had…..we are kindly asking you to come back and lead this team into success…pretoria will always love you…..