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Victor Matfield names the toughest All Blacks team he ever faced

By Liam Heagney
Victor Matfield with his broken nose in Auckland (Photo by Hannah Johnston/Getty Images)

Record Springboks caps holder Victor Matfield has named the toughest All Blacks side that he faced throughout his lengthy career. The retired 45-year-old took on New Zealand on 27 occasions during his 127 Test appearances, winning on just nine occasions, and he has chosen a bruising 2010 setback in Auckland as the sternest battle he had.

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Matfield and the Springboks came into that Tri-Nations encounter having defeated the All Blacks three times in eight weeks during 20o9, winning in Bloemfontein, Durban and Hamilton, and a heavily South African-influenced Barbarians XV also went on to beat New Zealand at Twickenham later that year.

Revenge, though, was served up very cold the following July, the All Blacks blitzing the Springboks 32-12 at Eden Park to ignite the fightback that took them all the way to Rugby World Cup glory in 2011.

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Matfield, who broke his nose for the first time in his career, was left looking dishevelled in a match where an early Bakkies Botha yellow card contributed to a bruising 20-3 interval scoreline that didn’t get any better in the second half.

Thirteen years later, Matfield still hasn’t forgotten. Appearing on the latest RugbyPass Offload, his memories of what took place in 2010 came flooding back when asked about his Springboks encounters with the All Blacks. “All of them were pretty tough,” he said.

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“But my toughest game ever against New Zealand: we had beaten then in 2009, we had beaten them three times and had beaten them with the Barbarians. We pitched up in Auckland at Eden Park to play them. We were the same team that had beaten them the previous year and they just smashed us.

“I remember I broke my nose for the first time in my career, blood was coming down. I remember coming back to South Africa, the front page of Sports Illustrated and me being bloody. Now all of a sudden we are all too old and there needs to be change before the World Cup. But I must say that game, probably that team as well, from there they went on to 2011, that was a very good All Blacks side.”

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The lengthy Matfield interview, during which he also named his best-ever Springboks XV, culminated in a quickfire round of questions:

RP: Best player you have ever played with?

VM: Bakkies Botha.

RP: Best player you have ever played against?

VM: Richie McCaw.

RP: Biggest fight you have witnessed in training?

VM: Bakkies and Danie Rossouw.

RP: Player who rubbed you up the wrong way the most in your career?

VM: Bakkies early days in South Africa and there was a guy in South Africa, Willem Stoltz who played for the Lions and the Stormers. His favourite thing was ripping my headgear off and throwing it into the stands. He was the worst guy.

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RP: Three guys in a very large cab with you for the biggest party in your life?

VM: Fourie du Preez, Schalk Burger and Ali Williams.

 

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j
john 6 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 2 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

13 Go to comments
T
Trevor 4 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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