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The 124kg 'enforcer' Matfield tips to 'take over' from Etzebeth
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.
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.
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.
Comments on RugbyPass
The problem is the officiating & changing rulings,& TMOs.Last weekend I saw a 9 penalized for a crooked scrum feed! the last time I saw that rule applied was In about 1975!!!!!!!!.Late or not the incident is history & Australians alleging that Kiwi rugby supporters wear eye patches is a bit rich.Try listening to Australian Commentators.Every new player who has an above average game is suddenly the next great sensation.
19 Go to commentsEvery Irish fan in the stadium celebrated like they had won the tournament after the SA and Scotland games so yeah, the way Etzebeth tells it stacks up. It was definitely ‘In Their Heads’!
61 Go to commentsEtsebeth is right about 1 thing. Boks after winning a RWC have been crap. Only in 2009 did they reach the heights of what a RWC Champion should look like but that was only after 3rd/last in the TriN 2008. Lost a home series in 1996 (vs ABs); didnt win even 1 x Rugby Championship after 2019. ABs and Wallabies and England at least played like Champions after winning RWC.
61 Go to commentsCrusaders will knock one of the top seeds out in the first round, hope it’s not my Chiefs
27 Go to commentsEben really seems like just a deeply unpleasant man.
61 Go to commentsDMac. BB crabs too much at 10.
2 Go to commentsIt is every boys dream to be a Springbok. I managed it in a discipline other than rugby…But rugby, I have always engaged with passion. It does my old heart good to see the mix of people in the team and this displays the possibilities for this wonderful country. The logo “stronger together” says it all. This current edition of the Boks is nothing short of inspirational.
3 Go to commentsIrish people about the best damn people on the planet. OK, in the NH. Fijians are the World’s best happiest friendliest people. But as far as European cultures producing good people, Ireland stands alone. But on the rugby pitch there is a creeping arrogance that has detached from humility. eg Sexton abusing a match referee, and not for the 1st time. He was extremely lucky to make it to the RWC, strings were pulled. And O’Mahoneys sledge to Cane was lowballing, attacking an opposition Captain seems opportunistic and gutter talk. Cane is a real gentleman. Have never seen ABs unleash after the whistle like they did on O’Mahoney after QterF, it was well deserved. Unlike Bok supporters, the Bok players understand history. Massive amount of respect between Boks and ABs is evident, they get on well and have throughout history. Even Pinetree Meads best mate (except his old cobber Kel Tremain) were Springboks, friendships forged after tours. And Meads was always targetted given his star status (he even played 2 x Tests with a broken arm). On the contrary, ABs and Wallabies famously dont get on, bad blood after Aussies not taking offer of beersies postmatch.
61 Go to commentsHaha god NZ journalism is so crap listen to this guy “We’ll be proven in a few weeks if our baseless bs can stick” lol Everywhere else uses experts to write stuff but here they’re just career guys that don’t care about what they write, NOT CONCEDED A TRY IN YEARS lol > “Naturally, you’re looking for performance, sometimes that means you can’t think logically or use evidence to arrive at any sort of clarity of decision. Pretty much sums it up to a tee Paul ignores the articles in here about then runs off each team this year, that Penney is just a yearly stop gap until, who, Ellison is released by ABs, the huge imbalance of the injury front between teams at each end of the table, or who it was that _should_ have been coach. But of course if they actually do evidence and investigative work theyre shy of their article not hitting that sensationalism boundary and lose revenue. Leaving us non the wiser. They look like they would have been best with a geeup coach this year to turn around the razorless depression the clubs obviously going through. Hard to think of someone fitting the Bill to have been chosen instead, the clown Cheika? Id have been tempted to double play and entice O’Gara down. Hell maybe that is who they are waiting for, he wants a international gig and it could be after Scmidt or razor
27 Go to comments_Dan Carter weighs in on who should be Scott Robertson's All Black 10_ Dan: “It’s a toss up between Beudy and Dmac, although Mounga would be nice - but he can’t… so…” The Rugby Public: “Thanks Dan. For nuthin!”
2 Go to commentsEngland did this way back for the Croke Park match in the 2000’s. The shame actually seemed to weigh on them during the match. It will not be easy for Northhampton players to rationalize how their army went into a stadium of a major city of the then United Kingdom and opened fire indiscriminantly into terraces killed 14 and wounding scores. I am sure with a pro setup they will get this balance right. I live beside the stadium. A very old woman on the street remembers as a very young girl the crowds of people filling the street to escape the massacre. A lot of water under the bridge and the match has really little historical relevance for Irish/Leinster supporters any more. Those ghosts were freed in the trashing of England in the 2000’s match. Sure, it will motivate Leinster but Northhampton should not overly consider it or weigh on it in my opinion. Dowson is right to learn the historical importance and Northhampton are indeed giving the occasion due respect. It is important to show respect. But that’s enough for Northhampton. Fair play to them. On to the rugby now.
16 Go to commentsDouble World Cup Champions ? Wow since when did 4 become 2!
214 Go to comments“See you in the final” from a winning (Irish) team is just away of wishing a team well for the rest of the tournament. It’s actually saying I hope we both make it to the final. Etzebeth was the only player who PUBLICLY said that his team would make the final after that match. Does anyone honestly think Ireland who took 100 years to beat NZ and got hammerred by them in 2019 would for the slightest moment not take the perilous threat as seriously as it should be taken? Getting sick of Boks and Kiwis who spend all year every year trying boasting about how great and humble they are and then accusing others of arrogance. Respect people by trying to understand them before hitting a pretty humble people with this crap.
61 Go to commentsThe feelings of gratitude I feel when thinking about the Boks is difficult to describe. It really means a lot to people here. I would flat out ask Ox for a big hug if I met him in person. And then probably pass out after the squeeze. Totally worth it.
3 Go to commentsFarrell seems to be an outstanding coach and Ireland a very well prepared team. But they looked like they had no plan B against NZ. Maybe they really were looking past them, as Eben says.
61 Go to commentsMaybe if you come once in your life in France you won’t writte so much nonsense 🙃
1 Go to commentsWhy did they kill 14 people at a gaelic football match? What had happened earlier that day? Dowson sounds absolutely pathetic, believing what the Irish say about his people, rather than believing what his people say about the Irish.
16 Go to commentsI haven't really experienced the Irish as arrogant but I guess the players maybe got ahead of themselves after a big win. Just thought it being Ireland and their love afair with WC QF exits and it being the ABs maybe they would have taken it a bit more seriously. Maybe they did and just lost anyways, who knows.
61 Go to commentsNot surprising, they tend to get very carried away with themselves very quickly. I’ve never seen a team so devastated at the final whistle than those irish players in that QF, you’d think they had lost the final.
61 Go to commentsJust a roundabout way of claiming to great fun. Self -praise is no praise, frenchie.
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