Ken Borland

The International Rugby Board’s anti-doping regulations have put paid to the potential comeback of former Springbok captain Victor Matfield, the South African Rugby Union (Saru) admitted on Thursday.
New Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer was considering Matfield, a veteran of 110 tests and the driving force behind their powerful lineout, for the three-test series against England next month, despite the 35-year-old announcing his retirement after last year’s World Cup.
With the series happening in the middle of the SuperRugby season, Meyer has little chance to work with his team, which will feature several new faces following the retirement of long-time captain John Smit, injuries to flanks Schalk Burger and Juan Smith, and the migration of stalwarts such as scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, centre Jaque Fourie, utility forward Danie Rossouw and prop Gurthro Steenkamp to overseas clubs.
Meyer is also facing a dilemma over who to appoint as captain because the frontrunner, Burger, has been ruled out of the England series due to a knee injury. The former Bulls coach previously hinted that Matfield could return to steer the team through the transitional period.
But an IRB rule stating that a player who has announced his retirement may not play international rugby for six months after his comeback has ruled out Matfield’s return.
The regulation is used by the IRB to prevent players who have used banned substances from suddenly retiring and then returning to the game once the drug is out of their system.
“We have discussed the option, but the International Rugby Board’s regulations counted against us,” Saru chief executive Jurie Roux told Reuters on Thursday.
“We would be keen to use Victor’s outstanding knowledge and have not ruled out the option of using it in some other way in the future.”
Matfield is acknowledged as the foremost student of lineout play in the game and is currently employed as an analyst by broadcasters SuperSport.
“I did want to play an experienced side, but a lot of players are not available,” Meyer said on a BBC radio interview this week. “There’s a big concern about the lack of time we have to train together. That’s why it’s difficult to pick a side because there will be injuries after those derbies. It’s not an ideal situation but you can’t make excuses,” he said.

The Stormers hung on in the second half despite their creaking set-pieces to beat the New South Wales Waratahs 19-13 (half-time 16-3) at Newlands on Saturday and install themselves at the top of the SuperRugby standings.

The Stormers had scored two tries in the first half and, with dominance in possession and territory, seemed to have set up a comfortable victory over the Australians.

But the Stormers lost their structures after the break as the boot of Waratahs flyhalf Berrick Barnes kept them pinned in their own territory. But the much-vaunted defence of the South Africans held firm and they only conceded one try.

The kicking game of the Waratahs brought the first points of the match in the ninth minute as centre Adam Ashley-Cooper’s deft up-and-under forced a five-metre scrum, which went straight to ground, leading to a penalty by scrumhalf Brendan McKibben.

But the Stormers scored the first try of the match nine minutes later, off the platform of an attacking lineout as wing Gio Aplon burst through the defences after a wonderful inside pass from scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenhage, and fullback Joe Pietersen, an obvious attacking threat throughout, rounded off the move in the left corner.

Duvenhage then deceived the Waratahs defence on the blindside, leading to a penalty which Pietersen kicked (8-3), and the Stormers crossed the tryline again seven minutes before half-time.

They set up a rolling maul off a lineout and, with the Waratahs distracted by another ball thrown on to the ground, hooker Tiaan Liebenberg crashed over for the second try.

Flyhalf Peter Grant then kicked an injury-time penalty to give the Stormers a commanding 16-3 lead, before they suffered another concerning second-half fade-out.

Lock Andries Bekker was chiefly to blame for a defensive failure that allowed replacement lock Kane Douglas to burst through and, with eighthman Dave Dennis carrying the ball well, outside centre Rob Horne was able to stroll over the tryline.

McKibben converted to close the gap to 16-10 and the Stormers continued to endure a hugely frustrating second half. They were pinned in their half for long periods by Barnes and this led to indecision when it came to either returning the kicks or trying to run the ball out from deep inside their own territory.

This confusion led to a McKibben penalty in the 47th minute when wing Bryan Habana was caught in possession and played the ball on the ground.

Grant provided some relief for the Stormers with a 50th-minute penalty, but the home side had to work exceptionally hard to keep the Waratahs out and secure the win.

Scorers

Stormers – Tries: Joe Pietersen, Tiaan Liebenberg. Penalties: Pietersen, Peter Grant (2).

Waratahs – Try: Rob Horne. Conversion: Brendan McKibben. Penalties: McKibben (2).

Flyhalf Freddie Michalak posted 19 points as the Sharks won the physical battle and beat the Cheetahs 34-20 (half-time 21-14) in an all-South African SuperRugby match at the Free State Stadium on Saturday.

In a bruising battle between two powerful forward packs, it was the Sharks who enjoyed a slight edge as their direct running took them over the advantage line and allowed their backs the space to run in four tries and notch a vital bonus point.

Frenchman Michalak scored a try and kicked four conversions and two penalties to keep the Sharks on the front foot.

The Sharks laid down an early marker as they kept the ball from the kickoff for 12 phases and two minutes and 25 seconds, loosehead prop Tendai Mtawarira and hooker Bismarck du Plessis carrying the ball strongly to fracture the Cheetahs defence and provide outside centre JP Pietersen with the space to dot down.

Michalak converted to give the Sharks an early 7-0 lead, but their ill-discipline at the ruck and the strong running of Cheetahs forwards Philip van der Walt, Adriaan Strauss and George Earle led to two penalties for flyhalf Riaan Smit.

The Cheetahs backs also have plenty of flair with ball in hand and outside centre Robert Ebersohn’s marvellous break from the restart led to powerful hooker Strauss muscling his way over for a try in the 32nd minute.

But Michalak struck back almost immediately with his try after a booming kick by fullback Riaan Viljoen had been allowed to bounce inside their 22 by the Cheetahs defence. The 29-year-old leapt up to get a hand to the ball, re-gathered and scored just his second SuperRugby try.

Wing Paul Jordaan then obstructed the Cheetahs chase at the restart and conceded a penalty, which Smit kicked to level the scores at 14-14.

But the Sharks attacked again with renewed vigour and, with the half-time hooter having just gone, they ran a penalty, with eighthman Keegan Daniel and Jordaan impressing with their handling to give wing Lwazi Mvovo the chance to beat the cover defence with dancing feet and a strong hand-off.

Michalak converted and then stretched the Sharks’ lead to 24-14 with a penalty six minutes into the second half.

Replacement flyhalf Sias Ebersohn kicked a penalty for the Cheetahs in the 53rd minute, as the Sharks, with Du Plessis in the sin-bin after a second shoulder charge earned him a yellow card, had their hands in the ruck.

The Cheetahs went into the final quarter just 20-24 down after Mtawarira infringed in the scrum and Sias Ebersohn kicked his second penalty.

The Sharks dominated the closing stages, however, as Michalak increased the lead to 27-20 with a penalty and the bonus point try came in the 73rd minute after Pietersen had stolen the ball on the right wing, Mvovo jinked his way deep into the Cheetahs 22 and replacement centre Meyer Bosman dived over the tryline.

Michalak added the conversion as the Sharks kept themselves inside the top six and the playoff places in the southern hemisphere competition.

Scorers

Sharks – Tries: JP Pietersen, Freddie Michalak, Lwazi Mvovo, Meyer Bosman. Conversions: Michalak (4). Penalties: Michalak (2).

Cheetahs – Try: Adriaan Strauss. Penalties: Riaan Smit (3), S. Ebersohn (2).

The Stormers failed to pitch up for the second half but an enormous defensive effort meant they hung on for a 16-14 victory over the Free State Cheetahs in their all-South African SuperRugby match at Newlands on Saturday.

The first half was one-way traffic as the Stormers cruised into a 16-0 half-time lead.

Flyhalf Peter Grant kicked three penalties in the first 16 minutes as the Cheetahs’ repeated infringements caught the eye of referee Steve Walsh and, after concerted pressure inside the opposition 22, lock Eben Etzebeth then muscled his way through three defenders to score the Stormers only try, in the 24th minute.

The Cheetahs came out inspired in the second half and a series of top-class drives by their forwards took them deep into the Stormers’ 22, where a slick pass by wing Willie le Roux allowed fullback Hennie Daniller to score in the corner.

Replacement flyhalf Riaan Smit kicked a fine conversion from the touchline to close the gap to 7-16 after 48 minutes.

Stormers flank Rynardt Elstadt then received a yellow card for a knee to the back of the head of Cheetahs wing Cameron Jacobs and a massive brawl then broke out between both teams, with a white card being issued for further investigation.

The Stormers defence held true, however, as the Cheetahs bombarded their line through 26 phases without reward.

Ironically, the visitors did score a second try in the 66th minute, but it came from deep within their own territory.

Right wing Gio Aplon sparked one of the Stormers’ few second-half attacks but, when scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenhage tried to pass to him again from a ruck, Le Roux pounced for the intercept and sprinted clear for a try from 90 metres out.

The accurate boot of Smit once again succeeded with the touchline conversion (16-14), but the Stormers prevented any further damage on the scoreboard and held on for a win that keeps them just one point behind the Bulls at the top of the South African Conference.

Scorers

Stormers – Try: Eben Etzebeth. Conversion: Peter Grant. Penalties: Grant (3).

Cheetahs – Tries: Hennie Daniller, Willie le Roux. Conversions: Riaan Smit (2).