springboks must restore the fear factor
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Victor Matfield:

Springboks must restore the fear factor

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice Springboks must restore the fear factor

South Africa's lock Victor Matfield (L)
Guildford - Arab Today

Springbok veteran Victor Matfield says the next generation of South African players must inspire fear in their opponents if they are to go on and win a third World Cup.

The 38-year-old lock said it would be easy to get the squad up for the third-placed game, after the disappointment of a 20-18 loss to World Champions New Zealand on Saturday, as for several players it will be the last time they represent their country.

"It is never a meaningless game when you put on a Springbok jersey, but we will have a good break these next two days and then the coach (Heyneke Meyer) already said we will get together on Wednesday," said Matfield.

"There are quite a few guys who will have their last outing in a Springbok jersey so we would definitely like to make that special, make that a good last game for the most of us.

"Whoever we play people need to start fearing the Springboks again so whoever we play – either Australia or Argentina, we need to have a good game against them."

His remarks with regard to the third place game contrast to those of Meyer, who made clear his disdain for the match.  

"Mentally, it's very tough," said Meyer in the immediate aftermath of the semi-final loss.

"It does not mean anything to me. It is like kissing your sister."
Matfield, whose tournament was hampered by a hamstring injury, said the team had done well to come back from their opening loss against Japan and while they may have lost, they came extremely close to going through to the final.

"It all started with Japan which was probably one of the darkest weeks ever," said Matfield, who was man of the match when the Springboks won the trophy in 2007 beating the then defending champions England in Paris.

"After that, although I didn’t play I had some of the best weeks with the Boks – just to see how the guys pulled together, how Heyneke (Meyer) got the guys behind Fourie (du Preez) and Schalk (Burger).

"The guys became close and we really had a belief that we can do something special. Last night (Saturday) we were one penalty away from being down in the dumps to doing something special but unfortunately it didn’t end well."

While the All Blacks advance to the final and could become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups and also the first to win the trophy three times, the Bok lock would not go as far as Meyer in dubbing them the 'greatest ever'.

"It is difficult to say the greatest – there are different eras but it is a great team," said Matfield, who joins English side Northampton after the curtain comes down on the tournament.

"I have been fortunate enough to play in teams where you just know you are going to win the game, it doesn’t matter how far you are behind, you know you are going to win the game in the end."I must say when I went on, I never saw panic in their eyes.

"They just looked like a calm, solid unit that know what they are doing and have confidence in each other.

"I think they have so much confidence in that team and they have great leaders making great decisions at the right times.

"Even yesterday in that second half, they just played the patient game, kicked in behind us and kept us in our own half."

Source: AFP

GMT 08:16 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

what to do about Federer

GMT 07:34 2018 Friday ,19 January

Time for talks on players' welfare

GMT 10:25 2018 Tuesday ,16 January

We fear Sterling more than Kane

GMT 09:30 2018 Saturday ,13 January

'Russian skiers are clean'

GMT 13:54 2018 Friday ,12 January

BOC: ‘Only Gold’ slogan for 2018

GMT 10:31 2018 Tuesday ,09 January

US runner-up snubbed for Olympics

GMT 21:46 2018 Monday ,08 January

Bahrain, Tunisia discuss youth, sport cooperation

GMT 12:43 2018 Thursday ,04 January

won't sell unless replacements bought in
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

springboks must restore the fear factor springboks must restore the fear factor

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

springboks must restore the fear factor springboks must restore the fear factor

 



GMT 11:03 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

No end to eyesores at Taj Mahal

GMT 10:18 2018 Thursday ,30 August

Iran incapable of closing Hormuz, Bab Al Mandeb

GMT 10:31 2014 Tuesday ,23 December

Mirages of failure: Lebanon cannot wait

GMT 04:53 2016 Monday ,16 May

English Premier League results

GMT 05:06 2024 Tuesday ,06 February

New hunt for flight MH370 gets under way

GMT 06:15 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Volkswagen clinches record sales

GMT 13:13 2016 Wednesday ,14 December

Unarmed old man killed by police in California

GMT 15:00 2017 Wednesday ,08 March

1 killed, 2 missing due to Avalanche in French Alps

GMT 12:07 2017 Saturday ,25 February

Renault’s R.S.17 features Infiniti co-built ERS

GMT 12:52 2017 Saturday ,04 November

Belgium 'to study' Spain's EU warrant for Catalan leader

GMT 08:40 2017 Wednesday ,01 November

Miss Morocco launch her first charity program

GMT 16:26 2016 Friday ,04 November

All Black brothers in arms ready for rare double

GMT 08:21 2017 Saturday ,30 September

Al Sayed underlines economic improvement

GMT 10:27 2017 Wednesday ,13 December

Strikes kill 12 in rebel-run Yemen prison camp

GMT 10:52 2017 Saturday ,14 October

NGOs slam UN aviation agency plan
 
 Emirates Voice Facebook,emirates voice facebook  Emirates Voice Twitter,emirates voice twitter Emirates Voice Rss,emirates voice rss  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

emiratesvoieen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen
emiratesvoice emiratesvoice emiratesvoice
emiratesvoice
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice