Victor Matfield & Bakkies Botha
Victor Matfield will captain the Springboks in the Castle Lager Incoming Series this month in the absence of the injured Jean de Villiers – and he will lead them out for the first time since his return to rugby in Saturday’s match against a star-studded World XV, sponsored by Samsung, at Newlands (kick off 17:00 SA Time).
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer made the announcement in Cape Town on Tuesday. Matfield, who has played 110 Tests for South Africa, last captained the Springboks at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2011.
“Victor’s appointment as interim captain is something I thought long and hard about and it wasn’t an easy decision to make,” said Meyer.
“The three candidates we considered, Victor, Bismarck du Plessis and Fourie du Preez, were all very strong options.”
“We’re in a fortunate situation that we have a strong leadership group in the current squad, which includes Victor, Bismarck, Fourie, Bryan Habana, Schalk Burger, Flip van der Merwe, Duane Vermeulen and Francois Louw.”
“It’s only a short-term appointment as Jean will take over as captain again once he’s recovered from his injury. Victor was a logical option – he knows the pressure associated with being Springbok captain as he’s been there before and he has vast captaincy experience at all levels of the game.”
“I also firmly believe Bismarck has improved a lot in this role with the Cell C Sharks and I know he can still lead the Springboks. He’s 100% supportive of Victor and he will remain one of our vice-captains for the season.”
“Victor is someone who has the respect of all the players in our squad, as well as world-wide in rugby. He’s achieved a lot and has always put the team’s interests first, while most of the players in our squad have already played under him.”
Matfield, who has captained the Springboks in 17 Tests earlier in career, said he is very grateful for the trust shown in him by the national coach.
“I’m here to serve the team and would like to make a positive contribution,” said Matfield.
“When I decided to return to playing rugby, my aim was to be good enough to make the Springbok team. I never dreamt of leading the team again and it’s a massive honour.”
“The coach has built a strong core of leaders and I’m fortunate to have guys such as Bismarck, Fourie, Bryan, Duane, Schalk, Flip and Francois alongside me. And we’ll have Jean and Adriaan Strauss back with the team soon, which will add to the depth of leadership.”
Matfield will captain the Springboks in their four matches in June. The vice-captains will be Bismarck du Plessis and Fourie du Preez.
“It’s only a short-term appointment as Jean will take over as captain again once he’s recovered from his injury”
I hated Jake for this, i also hated the day PdeV said the same. Now HM shows SA top coaches does not learn.
Forfeiting one position, because the player has so called Captaincy pedigree is doing 2 things. Sending a big Fark you to all the hard working players vying for that position. Take the Stormers progress without JdeV. Why guarantee a player that is not so hot this year a place?
1 @ superBul:
Whilst the decision is probably short sighted, it is also totally expected.
HM has a “let’s not lose” attitude first and foremost.
For him, (IMO) building for the “next generation” of Springboks is a secondary consideration.
I think HM is doing many very good young SA Rugby players a diservice by his selections and game plan, but that;s just my opinion.
PS, a “let’s not lose” attitude IS NOT the same as a “win at all costs” attitude.
@ superBul@1:
I agree with you. They have a pool of about 6 good captains, why promise it to one player. They should pick the best team first and then the captain. Building a Bok structure, based on certain individuals is a recipe for failure.
@ leon:
I really dont know why a coach brag about all the depth he has in leaders but he trusts just one. Let the best team run on then.
Victor, Bismarck, Fourie, Bryan Habana, Schalk Burger, Flip van der Merwe, Duane Vermeulen and Francois Louw. all are mentioned as good leaders by HM himself, Only Habana will be disastrous as Captain.
@ Scrumdown@2:
I don’t think it’s a “let’s not lose” attitude. I just think he sometimes have to much faith in certain players.
Victor Matfield is the logical choice, he has captained the Springboks on many occasions before and he and Heyneke Meyer already has that relationship of trust and understanding.
I am satisfied with the decision.
@4
Fourie DuP showed in 2008 with the Bulls that he is a better player when not saddled with the captaincy.
Schalk and Bismarck, not good choices, both prone to cards, Schalla because of the way he plays and Bissie because of his temper, he couldn’t even keep his cool against a bunch of youngsters this weekend and was more interested in pushing their faces into the ground and acting tough, than in his side winning. If you can’t get your side to win at home against a bunch of upstarts, then I don’t want him geeing the Boks up when it really counts.
Duane and Flip, stop gap captains for their franchises.
Flo, playing for Bath is counting against him.
Habana, heavens no! No way we want a show pony as captain.
Matfield the best and logical choice. He is not a dirty player, has the respect of the refs and can get the team focused, because he is focused on the game and not the man.
Consider the other captaincy candidates for a moment, not only for June but also in the long run:
1. Fourie du Preez – He is based in Japan, so taking part in training camps is an immediate problem, PLUS he is heading towards the end of his career
2. Bismarck du Plessis – Not a good captain and a hothead, who incessantly moans at a referee
3. Bryan Habana – A show pony, at the end of his career, plying his trade in France
4. Schalk Burger – Too injury prone to captain for any duration of time and not a sure choice as springbok starter
5. Flip van der Merwe – Has not shown yet that he has that ability to make the team gel under adverse situations
6. Duane Vermeulen – The injury bogey affects him too from time to time and he also has not yet shown the clear ability to make a team gel under adverse situations
7. Francois Louw – Excellent candidate with all the qualities but he plays his rugby in England and will do so for 3 more years, so attending training camps and being readily accessible is a problem at times.
8. Adriaan Strauss – Excellent candidate but suspended at present and not the 1st choice starting hooker at the Bokke.
So, review the points I have made and then consider whether your critisism of Heyneke Meyer’s interim choice of captain is justified… if you still say so, tell us who your captain would be and why he is a better candidate for the job.
If you objection is against Jean coming back as captain after June, tell us why… because it seems that he and Heyneke have also found some rhythm and developed trust and understanding. Is it because Jean is injury prone, lacks the qualities or would not be a starter in your Bok squad?
It is very easy to criticise, but I believe one has to imagine yourself in that same position, with the same options available… and then make an informed choice, not so?
7 @ nortierd:
I think we said about the same, just in different words!
@9
Ditto
Snap
😀
HM had to go through the song and dance about many candidates and many excellent other captains etc.
If he just went straight out honestly and said Vic is my man, the Sharks would have blown a foefie valve and accused him of bias and pointing to Bissie as the best leader of men ever.
The Stormers would have gone even more emo and would have used this incident of bias to forget about their rugby woes and would have tried to make each other feel better about life by venting their anger at HM instead of their team and coach.
The Cheetahs would have pulled lager around Strauss and would be telling each other how it’s them against the world, as the Cheetahs always get short changed and lose all their start players.
The Lions, well, they would have looked at each other and asked ” Bok captaincy, Bru, are the Bokke playing, we didn’t even know”
@ grootblousmile:
8
who is the question too?
@ nortierd: 🙂
12 @ superBul:
To all who differ that Victor was the logical choice.
You included!
@ nortierd
Since he removed that steel rod from his forearm guard he’s been as clean as a whistle, Kelleher and DC both got clobbered late and high by big Vic in the republic. 😆 I was hoping Meyer would pick Bismark the walking yellow/ego
@ grootblousmile:
No ways do i find fault with VM a Bok Captain, i find it wrong to reserve JdeV place by assuring him his place back as Captain.
But like Nortierd explained i can see it might have been great way to anounce it.
JdeJ is out for 8 weeks, so he wont play any game before the Rugby Championship, how can you just give him the guarantee he will walk into the team.
Not related but this doesn’t belong in rugby (or any sport for that matter), thought would share it here, a Leinster player during Saturday’s PRO12 final against Glasgow Warriors:
https://vine.co/v/Mp7m9jDlVtn
@ grootblousmile@8:
yes, It’s easy to criticize. This is what we as supporters do, but we also give praise when it’s deserved (Maybe not everyone). This does not mean that I do not support HM. You know I’m a great supporter of him.
I’ve got no problem with Victor as captain, my objection is that somebody gets promised the Springbok captaincy. Be it Jean or any other player. I would first select the team and then the captain. If the team was very junior, I could understand it, but they’re not. They have enough senior players who can lead, so captaincy is not that important.
But that’s just my view.
@ superBul:
I think Victor is the right choice in the interim.
To answer your question about how can you guarantee him his place – you would probably see him selecting a really out of form JJ, JPP, etc as well…
leon wrote:
As in those that he has personally coached at a lower level?
6 @ grootblousmile:
I think also he is A, as against THE logical choice.
My concern is not who captains the team on Saturday, but rather when will HM give a younger player an opportunity?
Both VM and JdV are no longer young men in Rugby terms, and any serious injury to either now could well spell the end of a carreer.
So some 15/16 months out from RWC 2015, when does HM give someone else a chance?
That he won’t during the RC is almost a given. He’s shown in the past that the EOYT means much in terms of getting his win ratio up for the calender year, and that only really leaves the (almost) pointless mid-year games against teams that are mostly unlikely to beat SA on home soil.
I see it that HM will try desperately to keep his “older” core players in the frame until after the RWC, then leave the real re-build to the next poor sod who takes over.
Assuming of course that SARU keep true to their modus operandi and shaft him when his contract expires.
Meyer appointed Jean as captain for the year in December, so remaining consistent with that decision makes sense. I am referring to his statement about Jean taking over again when he is fit.
Victor is the only option at this time, which does concern me as GBS pointed out above, while we have many senior players, some with captaincy experience, but none that make sense like Vic or Jean.
Maybe we are appointing the wrong candidates at SR level. Sharks? Bismark isn’t the man IMO. Great player but not a Springbok captain.
Nonetheless, it is a worrying situation
16 @ superBul:
Oh, OK, so your beef is not with the interim appointment of Victor as captain, but rather with Heyneke declaring that the captaincy will revert to Jean de Villiers.
Look, I also believe the Bok coach should choose the best 15 as run-on side first, but one would have to agree that Jean de Villiers has the abilities to lead and to also communicate well with the Media and the outside world.
At inside centre I do not have too many problems picking a fit Jean de Villiers for the Bokke… and I suppose we will have to see when Jean is back in action.
In my mind Jean is a better inside centre than Frans Steyn… and by that I specifically mean compared to Frans Steyn’s general play and not his kicking abilities. Everybody and his dog, specially the Sharks supporters, think that Frans Steyn is this midfield magician… but go look closely at his distribution or lack thereof, his less than solid defence… and now of course his half-injury as well, and you will have to agree that he is not all he is made up to be.
Once again, the captain and coach needs to be a team within a team who understands each other, and in that vein I think Heyneke and Jean are a good team, understands each other and have built up trust. Jean is still a better captain and an available captain compared to most of the candidates on my list in Comment No 8.
Anyway, we have the June Test Window to consider first.
20 @ Scrumdown:
Who, which player(s), in the Springbok squad is that “Younger Option” that you allude to?
Come and say it outright, who should Heyneke have appointed captain, which fills THAT criteria, yet has the captaincy record or pedigree behind him to back up that appointment?
Let’s run through the probable staring lineup and consider them as captains for a while:
1. Beast – No
2. Bismarck – Heavens NO
3. Jannie du Plessis – No ways
4. Flip or Bakkies – No
5. Victor
6. Francois Louw
7. Willem Alberts – Too injury prone and not young
8. Duane Vermeulen
9. Fourie du Preez
10. Johan Goosen or Morné Steyn – Definately No
11. Lwazi Mvovo – No
12. Jan Serfontein – No
13. Juan de Jongh – No
14. Cornal Hendricks or JP Pietersen – No
15. Willie le Roux – No
That once again leaves you with the list of candidates in Comment No 8… and Victor tops that.
NZINCHINA wrote:
Yeah Noodles, but they deserved it 🙂
My sixpence worth is that HM has got a problem he’s not prepared to reveal right now.
IMHO neither JdV or VM will make RWC 2015.
23 @ grootblousmile:
There are none in the group. And that’s the problem.
There’s no forward planning as a group for anything further than the next series.
Why do we continually see the NH teams sending their “A” teams (EG English Saxons) on tours to get experience but we almost NEVER see any inititives from SARU?
nortierd wrote:
And Phil Kearns complained of having his ballas gryped on more than one occasion @ Moftus!
BrumbiesBoy wrote:
Hmmmm. Wonder what odds a bookie would give on that bet?
@ grootblousmile:
24
i hear that Handre Pollard played quite good rugby lately, hope he is going on . I like a 10 to be captain, maybe we will have a general in charge soon.
@ BrumbiesBoy:
27
did he have?
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