Ali Williams thinks Matfeild should retire.

 .Jerome
There are others sharing his view and prepared to speak out about it.   

Yep and Matfield will take about as much notice of this as McCaw would if Juan smith told him to retire. The only thing that's interesting about this is that he bothered.
Silly stuff believed by silly fans. 

 Mozart
Matfield is too simple to realize that experts says he is not good enough for the WC - but he is not the one to convince - they must convince Meyer that his buddy is not good enough anymore.  
Are you not the silliest fan of all to be duped into being a Matfield supporter?

That looks like a long interview- where a small piece has been taken out. This changes the whole context. 
Their was a similar article this week about Ali Williams and he said the opposite----------
SpringboksWilliams: Matfield still good enough2015-07-07 21:01SHARE THISVictor Matfield (Gallo Images)Related Links

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Lloyd Burnard - Sport24

Cape Town - Ali Williams played the last of his 77 Test matches for the All Blacks in 2012, but he has been soldiering on with Toulon in France ever since. 

But now, like his partner in crime at the French club Bakkies Botha, his playing days are coming to an end. 

Before then, though, there is the small matter of Saturday's clash against the Springboks at Newlands. Williams (34) is likely to partner Botha, 35, as their careers wind down, but in the Bok setup Victor Matfield (38) is preparing for a remarkable fourth World Cup. 

"He's older than me and Bakkies put together," Williams joked in Cape Town on Tuesday.

"He's still one of the best locks in the world ... we all know what a champion is and what a world class athlete is and he's proving that he can still be there and still be one of the best.

"Someone like Victor offers so much off the field as well as on the field. On the field is he looking to hide? No, I don't think so."

Williams also paid tribute to Botha, speaking volumes of the type of man he was outside of rugby. 

"A guy that you play against for so long and have rivalries with and then you become great mates," said Williams of Botha. 

"He's a great man and a completely different character from what people see on the field and that's the beauty of it."

Williams said that while Matfield was giving another World Cup a go, there was no shame in Botha's decision not to.

"Rugby is mental. It's physical, but it's also mental. Mentally if you're not there and you don't want to go to that dark hole, that place that isn't so friendly, then there's no point being out there," said Williams.

"Victor obviously wants to do it and he's got a challenge, which is great, but Bakkies and myself ... that's not what pleases us anymore."

Saturday's match kicks off at 17:00. 

 Send the show pony packing. He is a complete disaster.

 You have to be one ignorant rugby supporter if you still think Matfield has the goods. It's laughable 

SB
What was written in the article was obviously handpicked as to the comments of Williams on Matfield.  In the video clip included in the thread above it is clear that the article missed out on what Williams actually said about the Matfield issue.  The clip was posted to clarify the issue of what Williams actually said about Matfield.
There is another threat on the issue of the selection of the locks by a panel comprising Wiese and Geldenhuis In which both said that Matfield was in the past a great line-out player - but since he never had any grunt ever - they do not rate him as a good lock and that it would be a mistake to select him for the WC squad.   That programme indicates precisely where Matfield falls short and why he should not be anywhere near the Springbok team.
Since the summary of their viewpoints were ignored I am posting the summary of what was said by the panel on the issue of lock selection hereunder:-
"There were some really comprehensive discussion on the issue of Locks by Adri Geldenhuys and Kobus Wiese.   They discussed the issue of locks of the past and mentioned the great locks of the past - but they strangely enough did not rate Victor Matfield as a top lock.   The reason is that they were thinking of grunt  required in locks and think that Matfield has none.

Wiese was very clear on the Matfield issue.  He said he used to be good in line-outs in the past - but it would be a serious mistake to take him to the WC.  Geldenhuys agreed with him.

Both commentators mentioned did not include Matfield as one of their preferred locks. There top choices of both are Etzebeth and Du Toit.  When queried about the lack of game time and asked about whether they have seen enough of Du Toit to make such a high rating of Du Toit - Wiese said he has seen enough of him and he is satisfied that he meets top requirements.   

Both agreed that the ideal starting lock competition for the WC would be Etzebeth and Du Toit.   The other locks mentioned included Lewies, De Jager, Mostert and Wiese also mentioned Bekker as a potential choice.

I am afraid that Mozart would start with his jealousy story again - but think the two commentators as experienced locks count more than what the Matfield toadies on the site come up with."    

   

Clevermike- Their was another article today that Meyer said Matfield is the fittest forward in the whole team. Either Meyer is totally inaccurate or the tests are limited?

Sharkbok, thanks for posting some rational context. 
Interesting what Williams says about the dark hole. Never really thought of it that way but understand what he means. We see these guys running into each other every week and just take it for granted they'll bounce back up. Can't really appreciate the physical nature of the game at the highest level unless you've played there and there is nowhere on the field to hide from it.

 Meyer is to my mind thinking more about Matfield his crony than Matfield the player.   He is addicted to Matfield like it is unbelievable.
If Matfield was so fit - why did he in the last few matches in SR made such rare appearances?   In recent pics Matfield looks down and out - reflecting his real age - but I think in Matfield's case Meyer is coming up with that story to justify his selection.   Meyer knows pretty well of the widespread criticism of Matfield's inclusion in the squad  and in the past has reacted by trying to protect Matfield and justify his selection - so his latest comment about fitness is just another way of justifying his selection of Matfield. 
Whether the statement of Meyer is true or false nobody outside the squad would know.  

 Beendork your mental as anything  and not all there,why dont you crawl into that dark hole of yours unfriendly though it may be ,that Ali Williams refers to ?And theres no point your being here either.

 Wardad
Why go for Beeno?  He is entertaining and fun to watch on this site.   I enjoy his posts and generally do not take them  too seriously - especially when he carries on about bent refs, etc.   So laugh at his comments - weird as some of them are - and try and see the entertainment value involved.     

 If he was just trolling maybe ,but he absolutely beleives hs arrant nonsense and what do you call someone who takes every opprtunity to call your team and your people cheats and worse ? Someone who NEVER does what decent rugby people do when the game is won or lost .If he hates our team and our people fine but sure as hell I'm not going to let him just pour sh!t on my team or  my people unremarked .If it were me constantly and relentlessly saying this garbage about you and your people and constantly calling the Boks every bit of trash talk under the sun would you think its funny then ?Like I said he beleives  his own nonsense so its not in any way banter ,especially when you call Samoans and other PIs slaves and worse .Next time he wants to call a PI subservient lets see him do that face to face ,and I want to see it on you-tube too ! .

 Wardad, I try not to take too seriously,  someone talking about himself in the 3rd person. As for Beenz, not everyone's cup of tea and definitely no diplomat, but rugga isn't for sissies now, issit?

 Whats his nonsense got to do with Rugby ? Pretty damn obvious to me the wee halfwit has never played before either .And as you say rugby isnt for sissies and so if someone gives you grief you serve it bsck up to them .And even in the hardest of all team sports we always give credit when its due .If your a decent rugby person that is. And like I said its all well and good when its not your people and team being sha.t upon by this tool .You might well regard him as the harmless equivalent of the village idiot but I reckon you would take umbrage if it was me doing the same to you guys .And rightfully so .

 Beenos a broken record, his pre disposition is always blame the ref lol. He is so consistent, terrible anti biast towards nz haha. But yeah god save you if Matfeild is still starting in the second row come world cup time. The guy is so deficient it ain't funny. He is solid at super rugby lvl, but test rugby he just lacks the physicality. 

From Rugby 365 and the Team of the Tournament....selected by 5 experts:
 5 - James Broadhurst (Hurricanes): A robust lock who can carry well and is solid in the line-out. His work-load was always high and managed to get his hands through the tackle often and off-load to support getting the Canes go-forward ball. Bubbling under: Victor Matfield (Bulls)

 Mozart
Do you really believe that Matfield is showing grunt thus being good enough in the Tight 5 situations?  
Do you really believe that Matfield is good enough in carrying balls in traffic?
Do you really believe that Mozart is not a "process" tackler making weak tackles?
If you believe the above then you are welcome to support him - but you will also have to accept that most people do not rate him meeting the above requirements and consequently regard him as a handicap for the Springboks in  their Tight 5.       

Mike, even in his prime Matfield was never known for grunt, ball-carrying, or dominant tackling. He was no push-over though, and still isn't.
If those are your only, or even primary requirements of a lock, then you never rated him as good enough for the Boks.
But he can't be moonlighting in the back line and avoiding contact and at the same time out-tackle the loose forwards on his own team over and over .  
I still think he can bring us a dominant lineout which is essential in the WC, secure kick-off ball (a nemesis of ours in last couple years), and is an under-rated distributor of the ball.

 Williams is just getting the mind games going. If he didn't think Victor was a threat then he wouldn't have been inclined to comment at this time. The timing is perfect, and the brainless turkeys like Michael give the desired reaction. NZders know Saffers are not very loyal and don't know their rugby or rugby in general very well. On the whole they are babies that need to be led by hand to "free thought" by an authority figure, I.e., the media.

 Mozart: strangely I didn't see this article

A perfect  summary by  Matey. The acid test is the scrum and our issues, to the extent they occur are on the tighthead side. Victor makes so many intelligent contributions that fans often miss. Against Wales he made a great try scoring tackle right under our poles...drawing " great tackle" comment from the Welsh commentator.
There is a very suspicious negative chorus from the AB supporters here...but how many Bools game did they  watch this S15. None that didn't involve their own teams I bet.
As for Mike...not the sharpest pencil in the box.

 Mozart
I asked you three questions and you escaped answering them by referring to what oimatey said.  Are you not the sharpest pencil on this site?
After the flops that Matfield made in the last few minutes of the AB tests last year the AB supporters  want him badly to be in the Springbok team.    However, they are honest enough to admit it.  As to the away games of the Bulls in Super 15 - they lost both games in New Zealand - in which Matfield played and the reason can be traced back to poor Tight 5 performances.   They also Lost the games against the Brumbies and the Rebels.   Fact is the last game in which Matfield played in Super 15 this year was against the Rebels - where he was totally over-shadowed by Jones and produced nothing to write home about.   The honest question is - what did Matfield produce in those games that would cause the AB-supporters any real concerns?  The answer I am afraid is zero. 
How is it possible that the deterioration in the scrumming of the Springboks co-incided with the return of Matfield to the Tight 5?    What else went wrong that causes the malfunctioning of the Tight 5 in 2014?
What is not suspicious is that ex-locks do not rate Matfield on the basis that he lacks grunt and that - even though he was outstanding in line-outs ion his hay-day - he is not so at present.   Even though you say he was the best lock ever in Springbok rugby - ex-players like Wiese, Geldenhuys and Andrews do  not rate him at all, based on the lack of grunt and his deficient contribution to Tight 5 play.   
Remember this does not stem from what I wrote - it is statements made by players who have been through the mill and knows what is expected of a lock.    
     

   

 oimatey
Your answers are basically flavoured as to what Matfield produced before his initial retirement from rugby in 2011 - essentially what he produced prior to 2009.
The Matfield supporters have always referred to to his line-out prowess and to catching of kick in balls.   However in the case of the kick-ins it rarely happens that a specific player collects kick-in balls at present  and the question remains is that really a reason to rate Matfield if he ends up catching one or even two kick-in balls in a game?   As to his present line-out prowess the question remains - is he really as good as he used to be?
I am not sure of that at all.   In the games he played in he rarely took line-outs on opposition throws - probably about 3 this year in Super 15.  He also lost line-out throw-ins by the Bulls.   What bothers me is that in some games he rarely called line-outs to come to him so as to avoid contest in the air to win balls - it normally happens when Matfield has to face good line-out jumpers.
I am not buying into what happened in the past - I am looking at the present.   That is the main problem - at present he is just not good enough anymore.   All the comments of supporters of Matfield basically trump his past history - not what he produces at present.   
The big tackle count is basically the result of Matfield rarely entering mauls - he hanged around behind those and then made tackles when the opposing teams recover balls and carried it.    I do not think that it really is the function of a lock to be absent from the engine room and then claiming tackle counts as a reason for him being in the team.   
Mozart went bananas about one tackle he made - he never mentioned the tackle misses or the general quality of tackles made.
It is clear that our Tight 5 last year in tests was not up to standard and that the Bulls suffered badly from a malfunctioning Tight 5 in Super 15 this year.   My question is - why was that the case?   Mozart said the problem happened on the Tighthead side - but then he said the same time the problem was not Jannie.   Problem is that Beast has always been a good scrummager - but has gone on the back foot in 2014.  Why?
My own view is that the Springboks will only do well dominating up front in the WC this year - but that can only happen if our Tight 5 is strong enough.   I do not think Jannie and Matfield is good enough anymore to ensure that domination and that is where I believe the Springboks will lose it this year.
By the way I had an interesting visitor today - Mrs Erna Bosman - who is the agent who sold me the house in Riversdale.  She is the mother of Meyer Bosman who was with her the past ten days on holiday.  She made some very interesting comments - which clearly came from Bosman himself.   She said inter alia that -
*   there is no chance that the Springboks will go anywhere in the WC this year; and
*   that Morne Steyn is regarded as a back-up for Pollard and Lambie in the event of injury and that it is unlikely that he would make the final RC and WC squads.
She said there is a close relationship between SA players in Paris and they regularly visit and communicate with each other.   She told me that the Goosen issue is not related to Goosen's dedication in  training or to the game itself, but his slow progress in picking up French.   She said that Goosen's wife initially had settling in problems in Paris and that was part of the problem.   However, there is no chance that he would return to SA at this stage  - as Racing Metro will not release him from his contract.                              

Yes Matfield lacks grunt but I have serious doubts about his speed as well. He's the slowest SA lock. As we saw in the EOYT matches last year he couldn't keep up with the tempo of the game against the European teams, at that point it was evident enough that Matfield isn't a top test level player. In the modern game these days locks are more versatile than ever before outside of lineouts, the contribution at the breakdown is important, cleaning out players at the ruck and speed to get to the breakdown quick enough is clearly a problem for Matfield. 

If Meyer did in fact say "Matfield is the fittest forward in the whole team" it is a real joke and a real funny one. We'll soon find out whether he can be a top competitor though as usual the Matfield supporters will still praise him with lies even if he plays badly out of form which is mostly the case.

 Actually, as the videos I posted showed, Victors mobility wad one of the best aspects of his game. At no point did he lack speed and had the highest work rate alongside Duane of all our forwards throughout the EOYT. In fact, the year as a whole. He has greater mobility and speed than Flip, Eben and Lood amongst others and is good in contact. His tireless work at ruck time significantly contributed to the win over England. In short what you said is laughable and well denunkable.

Usual Tokkie drivel....and now Jerome opines Matfield is our slowest tight forward. HM has all the stats, running speed....strength. He can look at trends over time. But can he match the brilliance of Jerome who divines things out of thin air. Methinks not.

 

Ok mike - lets talk about the present.....who should partner Etzebeth for the game tomorrow?
Lood.... crockedPSDT ..... crockedWillemse ........ unknown, inexperienced at test level. Took off to France after essentially one S15 year, reward him with a Bok call-up?Bekker ....... doesn't want toFlip...... a card magnet in your opinionBotha ....... not good enough, yetJacques du Plessis ..... how many games did he play at lock this S15. A single minded grunt anyway. Hattingh ...... solid enough, but average Mohoje ..... hahaha
Seems like we should be thanking our lucky stars we have someone of Matfield's caliber to send out there with Etzebeth. 

 Matey
I am not thinking about tomorrow's game - rather of the WC when the chips are down and the crocked players will produce more in the Tight 5 than Matfield does.   I am afraid that we are onto a loser situation in the case of the WC if some players are being utilized and unfortunately one of those is Matfield.

Willemse should have partnered Etzebeth.....if not him then Jacques du Plessis or Ruan Botha......all three are far, far better options than useless Matfield

 I have to agree with Saffex. The choice of matfiled 105 kg is pathetic. There cannot be any other word to describe it. It defies logic.
Ou warped DUD I see has been frothing at the mouth per usual. Waped DUD time to front up and admit the down under refs are serial cheats and that the get the Jarpy campaign started by Bryce Lawrences father if alive and well.  No more tearful outbursts warped DUD just face up to reality.
Thanks.