Veteran Lock: Victor Matfield

Victor Matfield can remember the time when he turned the All Blacks lineout into a jellyfish.

The veteran Springboks lock believes those days are over, but says South Africa can beat the All Blacks at Westpac Stadium on Saturday night.

“There was a time when their lineout didn’t fire, and now I think it is almost the best [in the world] to go up against,” the 37-year-old said today.

“I think they probably analyse it more, see it as a facet of its own and put a lot of time into it.

“They contest very well and I think they spend a lot more time at the lineout than they did in those early years.”

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Speaking on the five-year anniversary of South Africa’s last win in New Zealand, a 32-29 win in Hamilton in 2009, Matfield said No 8 Kieran Read had played the key role in fixing the All Blacks’ once-vulnerable set piece.

“They understand the lineout better,” Matfield said.

“A guy like Kieran Read is very good. He’s making the calls, and he’s always been very good with the Crusaders as well.

“I wish it was still the same, but we’ll have to be at the top of our game.

“I’ve put a lot of work in this week , but I know they’ll have done the same.

“[Sam Whitelock’s injury] will have an impact, but they will still have a good lineout with Kieran Read there.

“If he wasn’t there, it might have been different, but with him still there they are very strong.”

Matfield was one of seven survivors from that night in Hamilton where the Pieter de Villiers-coached Springboks won the then Tri-Nations title.

“We spoke about it on Monday. There are quite a few guys in this team who have beaten New Zealand in New Zealand,” Matfield said.

“Handre [Pollard] has beaten the [New Zealand] under-20s twice in two weeks here [this year], so there are plenty of guys who believe they can go out and do well.

“We know it’s not going to be easy. We know it is a huge, huge task, but if we go out and play the way we can and the way we want to, there will be opportunities.

“All the preparation is done. It’s a big game for us. It’s a do-or-die game for us in terms of the Rugby Championship.”

Matfield said playing against the All Blacks was part of the reason he came out of international retirement.

“When people ask me why I came back I say it was for the World Cup and for games like these,” he said.

“People always ask me now are there certain games you don’t want to play, and it’s normally the smaller games.

“When you get to the bigger games, I’m always excited to play. It will be a big game and I will be up for it.”

Matfield’s standing in the Springboks remained immense and he was all class against the Wallabies last week in his first match in seven weeks.

Young Bulls Super Rugby team-mates Pollard and centre Jan Serfontein call Matfield “coach” even in the South African camp, and Matfield dismissed suggestions that they would be overwhelmed against the All Blacks.

“Handre is between [halfback] Juan [Pienaar], who has played 70 tests, and [second five-eighth] Jean [de Villiers], who has played 100, and Jan is between [wing] Bryan [Habana] and Jean,” he said.

“It’s about balance and getting guys through.

“Handre and Jan have been outstanding at 20s level. They were players of the tournament in the under-20s.

“I see in the papers with Handre that everyone is talking about can he play an expansive game, and yes, he can, but he was also part of a [under-20] team that won in the wet and rain.

“I think he’s a guy who can play all conditions and it’s great to see a guy like that get a chance against a team like the All Blacks.”