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The 124kg 'enforcer' Matfield tips to 'take over' from Etzebeth

By Josh Raisey
Eben Etzebeth of South Africa acknowledges the crowd after the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between South Africa and Scotland at Stade Velodrome on September 10, 2023 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)

Leinster knew what was coming their way in their Investec Champions Cup quarter-final against holders La Rochelle, and they prepared accordingly.

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It is not necessarily hard to predict what is going to come from a team that boasts literal and figurative rugby giants in the form of Will Skelton and Uini Atonio, weighing 290kg combined, but the last two Champions Cup finals have given Leinster an extra taste of what the Top 14 powerhouse bring.

Leo Cullen and Jacques Nienaber fielded a team that would confront Ronan O’Gara’s side head-on, with 124kg lock Jason Jenkins coming in for his first start in over a month. He repaid their faith handsomely.

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In a display where La Rochelle’s power up front was completely neutralised, the South African was at the heart of Leinster’s cause as they won 40-13. Only one Leinster player made more tackles than the lock, despite coming off the field with half an hour to play.

It was a display that would have caught the eye of South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus.

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Jenkins has just one cap to his name in what was an almost unrecognisable Springboks team against Wales in the USA in 2018.

Injuries have not helped chances, but he has been in Springbok camps since 2018 which shows he is on the radar. His move to the Sharks at the end of the season will see him move from on the radar to smack-bang in Erasmus’ face week in, week out.

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What’s more, he has recently received an endorsement from Victor Matfield. As far as endorsements go for a South African lock, they don’t get much better than one from the legendary second row and the Springboks’ most-capped player ever.

Speaking at a BKT United Rugby Championship media call recently, the Bulls great recalled coaching Jenkins and fellow Springbok lock RG Snyman as teenagers when his career had come to an end and their Bulls career was blossoming.

“When I retired, I coached him and RG Snyman as 19-year-old boys and I must say I was very impressed,” he said.

“He only started playing rugby as a 16-year-old, and just the skillset, the work rate, he’s a big boy, a strong boy that likes to get on the front foot.”

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The Springboks are not exactly suffering from a dearth of second rows currently, but Matfield was nevertheless surprised Jenkins failed to make the World Cup last year, but is backing him to break back into the national set-up in the future. Not only that, but he actually sees him as Eben Etzebeth’s heir in the South Africa No4 jersey.

He added: “I actually thought last year he would have been in the Springboks squad for the World Cup as well. I was very surprised when he didn’t make it.

“He’s coming back to South Africa, I think we’ll see him in a Springboks jersey pretty soon and he’s probably a guy that might take over from Eben Etzebeth as that hard worker, enforcer, just being in your face and getting back to partnering RG Snyman. Both of them are very good mates as well.

“I think he’s a fantastic player. He’s got a very high work rate, good skill set, and he likes to get stuck in as well. He’s that real No4 type of forward that you would like in your team.”

Jenkins is only four years Etzebeth’s junior, so their careers will largely overlap. But a four-year age gap means the Leinster man may have an extra World Cup cycle in him.

Crucially, with his solitary cap, he has not been ravaged by the demands of Test rugby, meaning there is a chance his career could go well into his 30s. Deon Fourie has shown in recent years that your age is in no way a barrier to entry for selection.

In Matfield’s eyes it is a case of when, rather than if, Jenkins gets into the Springboks squad, and when he does, he is tipping him for big things.

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12 Comments
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finn 175 days ago

Jason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps.

Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.

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JW 37 minutes ago
Will the withdrawal of the ‘top 20’ devalue France’s tour of New Zealand?

France is great for the game, theres no doubt it, but 'rugby' is not you're wife. You are not earning 'interest' with her, or Rugby, to leave her for a weekend and do you're own thing. You simply cannot go on openly calling these French developmental sides... France (speaking of previous years obviously, we'll have to wait and see what next years side is).


That there is such a league to attract all types of talent from over the world is wonderful, I wish rugby locally here had the capability to do the same. That they get a professional environment, to focus fully on their own development, while experiencing the joy's of a good rugby community only help to strengthen the game.


What is France going to do when these players can obtain that experience in their own country, when a Madrid team has the ability to compete with Stade Francais, pulling in their own big names and using the Spanish national side as the basis for majority the of their squad? I think some of these nations are already getting near the ability, and all it would take is some backing for a new league and owners (to branch off with say South Africa into their own tournament) before this talent pool of yours (and your french 'contribution' to rugby dry's up).


Will France fight it? Will they help promote this new European league? Will they look at a transition that trys to catapult off rugby's success in France and increase participation to other areas of the population and demographics? How much of France to you actually think the game of rugby penetrates now? How much could it contribute to that if France went on tour defeating the All Blacks, Springboks, and Wallabies in successive years for the first grand slam of the south?

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S
SadersMan 2 hours ago
WXV: New Zealand make a handful of changes in preparation for France

Bunting is delusional. The job is clearly too big for him. The Black Ferns have shown none to negative, "growth", as a team. Individuals may have progressed, true, but the team is a mess. They have been fully professional since 2022 but play like amateurs. We are back to 2021 NH tour vibes (onfield that is).


The granting of an historical 4 year full contract to Kennedy Tukuafu remains Bunting's most puzzling decision. At 26, she had offered little of the on-field quality deserving of such status. Her relegation v FRA was imminent imo & Bunting gets kudos for this decision. I would've tossed her completely, myself. In all tests this tour, she has been ineffective & doesn’t seem to have a point of difference (required of a loosie). Jackaling, high tackle rate, clean, carry, ???


Another puzzling selection is Bunting continuing to use our best 6 Alana Bremner 178cm & 77kg at lock in place of our best lock, Chelsea Bremner, 181cm & 88kg. Maia Roos at 179cm & 80kg needs a big body at her side. Neither she nor Alana are power locks.


Going forward I'd reshuffle the back 5 as follows:


4 Roos 5 Chelsea 6 Alana 7 Sae 8 Mikaele-Tuu with Olsen Baker bench impact. Alana is an option to cover lock, if required. I'd also be tempted to use a 6/2 split depending on the opposition.


One issue I have with this selection is that the same core backline that leaked a million tries from set play v ENG is taking the field. Sure, FRA got thrashed by CAN, but it's still FRA, quite capable of stepping up & blasting us. What will be different? Backfield comms? Midfield reads? ?? Scary stuff.

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