Ken Borland

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.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith underwent ankle surgery on Tuesday after consulting with an ankle specialist, who detected an impingement syndrome and recommended surgery.

Smith was operated on in Cape Town in order to manage the chronic pain in his left ankle that he has been suffering for the last two months.

South Africa team manager Mohammed Moosajee, a qualified doctor, said the surgery had a rehabilitation time of eight to 10 weeks, meaning Smith will miss the Pune Warriors’ entire Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign.

A statement released by Cricket South Africa said Smith had undergone surgery now to ensure he was fully fit for a crunch tour of England in July that will decide the number one ranking in the International Cricket Council’s test rankings.

“My ankle has been troubling me for some time so it will be a relief to have it repaired, especially looking ahead to the crucial year of cricket ahead,” Smith said.

“I’m very disappointed to be missing out on the IPL this year. I was looking forward to my second season with Pune Warriors, especially after my knee set me back last season. I would like to wish them all of the best this year, I’m sure the new management and exciting new signings will be a positive boost for the side.”

A post on the social network Twitter by Smith’s wife, Morgan Deane, said Smith was “safe and sound but sore” after the operation.

A top-class spell by Faf du Plessis and a double-strike up front by Albie Morkel led the Nashua Titans to a comfortable 45-run victory over the bizhub Highveld Lions in the MiWay T20 Challenge final at the BidVest Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday.

 – http://www.supersport.com/cricket/domestic-t20/news/120401/Titans_coast_to_T20_title

The two all-rounders shared seven wickets between them as the Lions crumbled to 142 all out after the Titans’ powerful middle-order batsmen had seen them to 187 for six.

The Lions beat the Titans in both their round-robin matches this season and must have fancied their chances of chasing 188 in good batting conditions. But this time they danced to the tune of the Titans bowlers as they lost three wickets in the first four overs and then another three in the space of nine balls midway through their innings.

Titans coach Matthew Maynard may have swum against the tide by leaving out all of his international stars, but his team remained a slick, efficient outfit on the field as they hunted down their second trophy of the summer after their success in the SuperSport Series.

Lions youngsters Jonathan Vandiar (0) and Quinton de Kock (17) could both perhaps be accused of going too hard too early as they both skied the ball into the outfield to be caught.

The dangerous De Kock had already hit two fours and a six off 10 balls but, with his captain Alviro Petersen falling just three balls previously for five as he edged Morkel and was brilliantly caught by Heino Kuhn standing up, he then tried a lofted drive and gave the Titans another wicket.

It was also another fine catch, Eden Links judging the steepler to perfection as he ran from mid-off to behind the bowler.

The Lions were 24 for three after four overs, but Neil McKenzie and Jean Symes provided a brief surge of runs as they added 50 off 34 balls.

But the home crowd’s cheers were soon silenced as leg-spinner Du Plessis came on in the 10th over.

His third delivery was the only one that misbehaved all day on another excellent Chris Scott pitch, keeping low to bowl Symes for 25 off 20 balls as the left-hander attempted a pull shot.

Dwaine Pretorius’s stay was brief. He hit his first ball from Du Plessis straight back over the bowler’s head for six and then tried the same shot two balls later, but was surprised by the googly and bowled middle stump.

McKenzie fell six balls later, bowled off the pad for 24 off 19 balls by a quicker delivery from left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe that went straight on, meaning there were two new batsmen at the crease with the Lions needing a daunting 106 off nine overs.

Du Plessis carried on his destructive business by removing the last two hopes of the Lions – having Chris Morris caught by a diving Alfonso Thomas for 18 and then accepting a simple return catch from Thami Tsolekile (14). It left Du Plessis with brilliant figures of 4-24 from his four overs and the bowling award.

There was some late resistance from Aaron Phangiso (19 not out) before Morkel (3-28) had Ethan O’Reilly (7) caught behind by Kuhn off a bouncer to claim the Lions’ final wicket in the penultimate over.

BRILLIANT OUTFIELD CATCH

Farhaan Behardien had hit the ball high and handsome in the closing overs to lift the Titans to 187 for six and earning himself the batting award in the process.

Behardien, who scored an unbeaten 20 off 11 balls on Friday night on his international debut, continued to court the national selectors for a place in South Africa’s T20 World Cup squad as his brilliant 42 not out off 26 balls gave the Titans a competitive total after they had been a dodgy 112 for five in the 14th over.

The Titans were sent in to bat and openers Henry Davids and Kuhn did a fine job of seeing them off to a good, fast start as they added 43 runs in three-and-a-half overs.

There had been some speculation that the Titans management would drop Davids for returning international Jacques Rudolph, but the former Bolander repaid their faith as he slashed 27 runs off 12 balls, with five fours and a six, hitting the ball beautifully through the off side.

The Lions were desperate for a breakthrough and all-rounder Morris, who has very much been their talisman this year, topping the SuperSport impact ratings, did the job by bowling Davids with the assistance of a deflection off his back pad-flap.

The Lions, with superb team-work between their focused bowlers and lively fielders, especially on the boundary, then kept chipping away as the Titans lost regular wickets.

Pakistan international Sohail Tanveer had Kuhn caught behind for 14 in the next over, and left-arm spinner Phangiso, playing against his former team, had Van der Merwe (7) well-caught by Symes on the deep midwicket boundary.

Du Plessis and Martin van Jaarsveld began to dominate in a fourth-wicket stand of 29 off 25 balls, but Morris then took a brilliant outfield catch, running in from cow corner and diving forward, to dismiss Du Plessis for 22 off a Pretorius full toss.

Captain Van Jaarsveld scored an impressive 32 off 21 balls but then drove Phangiso to Morris at deep extra cover.

The Titans had plans to dominate the 28-year-old Phangiso, but he certainly won his personal battle against his former teammates by finishing with outstanding figures of 2-14 in his four overs.

Van Jaarsveld was out midway through the 14th over and Behardien then dominated the last six overs as he slammed two fours and two sixes, the extra cover region once again being one of his main targets.

The Lions were badly disrupted by Dirk Nannes having to pull out with a hamstring strain and his replacement, O’Reilly, who has not played since the match against the Knights on March 7, had a torrid time.

Having conceded 31 runs in two overs against the Davids onslaught up front, O’Reilly returned to bowl the 16th over and was taken for 14 more runs by Behardien and the in-form Morkel.

Behardien and Morkel did the business in the closing overs as they added 42 off 27 balls; the left-hander fell to Tanveer in the 18th over for 21 off 15 balls, but Behardien batted through to the end, hitting a wonderful six over extra cover off the Pakistani in the final over.

David Wiese, another who had international rivals for his place, showed his big-hitting ability with 14 not out off seven balls, but it was the composure and brilliance of Behardien that carried the Titans to their highest total this season and the best against the Lions.

Phangiso was the obvious bowling hero for the Lions, with Tanveer, Morris and Pretorius the other wicket-takers, but all at a cost of more than nine runs an over.

The Canterbury Crusaders used their forward dominance in the second half to beat the Gauteng Lions 23-13 in their SuperRugby match at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The Lions scored their only try four minutes before half-time to claim a 13-10 lead at the break, but struggled to get out of their territory in the second half as the Crusaders’ forwards took control, using tight play and direct running.

The New Zealanders regained the lead four minutes after the break as wing Sean Maitland gleefully ran on to a lovely grubber from fullback Israel Dagg, after the Lions had suffered a costly turnover in their own 22.

Centre Tom Taylor, who played at flyhalf for much of the second half as Dan Carter was substituted after an hour upon his return from groin surgery, kicked the conversion to make the score 17-13.

Taylor then failed with a 51-metre penalty attempt, but succeeded with penalties in the 48th and 63rd minutes to complete the scoring.

“We were really disappointed with our start, we were really inaccurate. But we played with better intent in the second half after sitting back in the first half. We had good field position and we wanted to be a lot more direct and go through the middle,” Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder told a news conference after the game.

“But we absolutely let a bonus point slip because we were really inaccurate, which is frustrating.”

The Lions dominated the first half as they kept possession for long periods. But it proved a false dawn for the SuperRugby strugglers as they battled to penetrate the tight Crusaders’ defence.

There were promising breaks by the home side, but captain and flank Josh Strauss passed straight to opposition centre Taylor with the tryline in sight, and lock Franco van der Merwe was held up over the line by scrumhalf Andy Ellis.

Ruck infringements accounted for the first points of the match for both sides as Lions flyhalf Butch James (19th) and Taylor (21st) kicked penalties.

Taylor’s first kick at goal came after wing Zac Guildford had opened up the Lions defence with a mazy run and the 23-year-old All Black also scored the opening try 10 minutes later when he raced on to Carter’s slick pop-pass on the inside after centre Robbie Fruean had crashed the ball over the advantage line.

Prop Pat Cilliers scored the Lions’ only try as he burst off the back of a ruck.

“The moments after half-time were the turning point. We just didn’t control possession and we weren’t accurate enough. It’s very obvious our lineout’s not working as we’d like and it’s unacceptable,” Lions coach John Mitchell said.

The Lions have now won just one of their five SuperRugby matches this season, while the Crusaders complete their two-match South African tour by playing the Bulls in Pretoria next Saturday.

Scorers

Lions – Try: Pat Cilliers. Conversion: Butch James. Penalties: James (2).

Crusaders – Tries: Zac Guildford, Sean Maitland. Conversions: Tom Taylor (2). Penalties: Taylor (3).