Kevin McCallum
August 07 2009 at 07:10AM
They are the sorcerer and the enforcer of Springbok rugby, the yin and yang of a tight five that is the envy of world rugby, and on Saturday at Newlands in the Tri-Nations match against Australia, Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha will rattle up the 50th celebration of their partnership in the green and gold.
Like all truly great combinations, they bring very different skills to the equation. Each imposes himself on the game: Botha with his strength and aggression at the breakdown and in the mauls, Matfield with his guile and craft in the lineouts.
Botha said on Thursday: “Victor said this morning about what we each bring to the game.
“There’s no need for Victor to clean because I clean enough for two people, which allows him to run around in the backline.
“It’s a true combination. It’s perfect because the things I do well, Victor doesn’t like to do that much, and the things Victor does well, I don’t like to do that much.
“It’s been a privilege to play with Victor because of the calmness he brings to the field, especially around lineout time.”
Botha was accused of not being calm enough in the second Test against the British and Irish Lions at Loftus Versfeld, when he hit a ruck, dislocated Adam Jones’s shoulder and was banned for two weeks. The Springboks staged an armband protest which got them into trouble with the International Rugby Board.
While many thought the protest a tad over the top, no one disagreed with the notion Botha had been targeted because of who he was and not for what he had done.
Would he change?
“Definitely not,” said Botha. “I’m just playing the game I’ve played in my entire nine years of top-level rugby and I think sometimes the guys are zooming in on the way I play, perhaps, on the way I target the rucks.
“That’s the way I play, I’m not going to change.
“It’s funny,” smiled Botha. “Sometimes when we train with the Bulls, afterwards someone will greet me and the guys will ask me: ‘Who’s that?’ I’ll say: ‘That’s the citing commissioner of the Sharks.’ I know the commissioners very well – by name, actually.”
“Although he’s very psyched on the field, until that whistle goes, he’s very relaxed,” said Matfield. “You know he’s going to do a job for you. He takes the whole pack forward.
“He should get more recognition for what he does for the Springboks.”
Legendary Lion Willie John McBride had suggested 2009 tour captain Paul O’Connell would “boss” the two around during the Lions series, which drew a smile from Botha and Matfield. Now, with the Lions victory under their belt and having won everything it is possible to win, the two bosses of world locks are up for the 2011 World Cup.
“Yes, I think it will be great if I can still be there with Bakkies,” said Matfield.
“But, a bit more about this journey we have been on. Bakkies and myself got married on the same weekend, our first kids were born about a month apart from each other, the last ones about two months from each other.
“Everything happens together so we hope we can retire together.”
JAN Maatijies 😆
LangJanne…
Hoop hulle klap die Aussiesdik.
More EEE
Jy was te vinnig vir my.
#2 sal mos, die beste is dat hulle nog BUL Janne ook is!!!
#3 Hallooooooo Trupi hoe gaan dit nog met jou?
# BUL Janne….dit was nou nie nodig nie…:)
#6 Natuurlik was dit 😉
trips — ag ons moer maar aan… Paptyres na hierdie week maar sien uit om die game te gaan kyk. Het familie hier en ons almal gaan so dit gaan `n great naweek wees.
Wens ek kon gaan….hoe lyk die weer daar? Hoop dit is lekker weer vir more jong, sal great wees as ons bietjie driee van die bokke kan sien!!!
#7 Die DikJanne is darem almal SharkJanne….
En ek moet na ‘n stooooooooooooopid bday braai toe gaan waar daar nie veel rugby gekyk word nie!!! EK het nuus vir hulle, ek gaan my neerplak voor daai tv tot die game klaar is 😆 julle sal my seker tot in die kaap hoor gil!!!
#11 My man se ek is erg…….
Die weer lyk goed — voorspelling is 20C en gedeeltelik bewolk — geen teken van reen nie so behoort `n nice game te wees, alhoewel ek vermoed die bokke gaan `n “slow death” approach tot die game vat en dit tight hou.
13…Gee nie om hoe hulle dit doen nie, solank hulle die convicts opvoeter!!!!! Ek is nou baie excited…hehehehe….
GO BOKKE
ek moet gou iets doen, praat later weer….
Nice article … they sound like a lovely couple 😀
“There’s no need for Victor to clean because I clean enough for two people, which allows him to run around in the backline”
😆
Heard this morning an interview with Bakkies on radio.
Something like this: “I clear out for 2, that way Victor can run a bit in the backline.”
A Bakkies classic for sure.
Goooooooooood morning Vietnam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jaaaaaaaaa Koos! Steel jy my reël. Ek hoop jy voel nou BITTER kuk!
Helloooooooo
Just here quickly to check if this morning’s Articles are OK….. and that the formatting is spot-on.
You guys are quick learners it seems….. no problems detected….. that is, until Supa posts something or SuperBul for that matter….
Gooooo mielies Koos, Trippels, King Paul………. fanks a stack!
#20 Ons poebeer maar!!!!!
21 – EEE,
Koos verbaas my….. ek meen, vir ‘n BEANCOUNTER soos hy is hy nogal skerp op die rekenaar…. welgedaan Kosie !
#19 Bwhahaha Isi, jy moet wakker slaap!
#22 Ek het ‘n 11 jarige laaitie jy sien…spot net! Thanks anyway Groot, limited ability maar ek kan mense darem vir ‘n rukkie fool!
#22 hehehe sien almal het verskuilde talente……
23 – Kosie,
Nee jinne Koos, jy het die “Split with MORE” ding sommer eensklaps bemeester… ek is moooooooosa impressed….. jy is nou Amptelik ons Ozzie EN Cheetahs Korrespondent…. en meer nog, jy gaan ons modereerder en webmonster wees vir die “nagure”, wanneer ekke lekka rustig slaap… sonder ‘n worry…
25 – Groot
Dit was nou rerig nie moeilik gewees nie, mens moet mos maar net bietjie rondspeel en as jy opvoeter is daar mos altyd die back button of undo…jy maak net seker jy weet waar hulle is voor jy begin speel 😉
Ek is fyn met die job maar as Vrystaat volgende jaar B afdeling speel se ek niks oor hulle nie…
26 – Koos,
Doen my ‘n guns, gee tog vir Supa lesse… hy sukkel kwaai jong !!
Fokken erg !!
Dink net hoe mooi gaan ons webmonstering werk….. Koos & Pieta van so 02:00 tot so 10:00, ek en so paar vrinne van so 10:00 tot so 18:00, Ed van so 18:00 tot so 02:00….
Maklik man….
Party mense is net unteachable Groot, Supa val verseker in daai kategorie. Ons sal maar dinge so moet aanvaar…
Koos jy moet my ook maar leer, maar ek sal een oggend waneer ek nugter en vars is met jou leiding die les deurgaan. By voorbaat Dankie
27 28
Julle altwee se moere!!!
Ek het dit al gister geleer GBS,,,gee bietjie krediet man…nog net SAB wat moet. hehe
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