Matfield and Bakkies must go.

Over the past few months I had mixed feelings about Matfield and Botha. On the one hand I understood that Meyer wants these two Bok legends to share their knowledge and experience with the young guns, then with all the injuries I understood that Meyer needed them to play as there isn't sufficient depth exposed and he was never going to simply put in inexperienced players.

That said after watching the two of them in the RC and now in November I think Meyer is tarnishing the memories we have of the two SPringboks.

Bakkies has become lazy to the point that even when he only has 15 minutes to play he does virtually nothing, even a lazy player gets to tackle someone as they will inevitably run in his direction.

He ruck work is lethargic and ineffectual, sure he can still win a line out, but I have not seen him put any pressure on an opposition line out all season, I haven't seen him carry the ball up strongly at all and he really does look like a passenger.

I watched again tonight only to see Victor being pushed so hard in the maul that he literally splits our maul in the frint which allows the opposition to push through the middle.

Last weekend as an experienced player you would expect him to make the right calls when the maul was completely negated by the Irish and he did nothing to prove that he can make the right decisions

He has not stolen one line out in the past couple of matches when Etzebeth, Vermeulen and even Oupa Mohoje has been stealing a dozen or so balls.

Victor has lost his physicality (the little bit he had) and in all honesty I just cannot see whether there is any value in keeping him.

Meyer should let us remember these two players as legends of SPringbok rugby and allow them to hang up their boots.

We have all to often seen Springboks hanging around long after they benefit the cause of the Springboks and as much as I respect and thank these two for the service they have given us, I just don't see where they add value.

We have Italy and Wales left, now is the ti me to let Lood de Jager, or Stephan Lewies or Paul WIllemse partner Eben and focus on finding the best lock pairing.

I simply can no longer accept that Meyer can't let his two mates play.

Botha

0/0

0

0/4/23

11

0

0

0

1

23/7

11/2

2

0/0

The above means that his ball carries is virtually non-existent insofar as territory gain is concerned (23 carries making 11 meters) - he lost ball possession once - he made 23 tackles missing 7 - - he took 11 line outs on own throw and 2 on opposition throw - he gave away 2 penaties.

Taking into account that the above happened in NINE TESTS his work rate is a joke in bad taste.

Matfield tried to impress the public about two aspects, namely hsi line-out takes and his tackle count.   There are two problems in regard to his tackling - he has a substantial missed tackles ratiio and his tackles are not realy strong enough since the tackled player goes forward and ball possssion is not in question in the case of any tackles. Most of the tackles is in fact the resut of him moonlighting in the abckline and he does not really invoolve himself in situations normally expected from a Tight  5 player.

In the last few tess he played in he took no line out balls on opposition throw and in fact lost two line outs on own throw.   He is really not exceptional in line out play anymore - his performances indicate a rather average line out lock.

Th main problem with Matfield remaisn - he is physically not strong enough to make an impact ofn Tight 5 play and that is shown in vritually every game he played in.  Can we really afford it to weaken our Tight 5 by playing Matfield in the critical lock position.

I whjole-heartedly agree with your asesment of th two players concerned.

Agreed Biltong, Matfield is a liability as I have been saying from day one. Yet again he offered nothing of note and continues to be exposed physically.

We are getting by with Matfield, just imagine how much better we would be with an imposing youngster in his place?

As for Bakkies, he is not lazy, he is just not able to compete at the highest level anymore.

Wow had to laugh at Moz's take that the Bok counter maul suffered in Matfields absence........hello it was 7 against 8, it had stuff all to do with Matfield

Matfield and Bakkies were useless  

 "We are getting by with Matfield, just imagine how much better we would be with an imposing youngster in his place?"

That's the big question, how much more physical will our tight five be, we might even find our scrum improves, our maul will have more power at the head of the drive and I suspect decision making will also improve, Matfield showed against Ireland how hard headed he is to not wanting to adapt d uring the game.

WIth six test matches to go, and IF Meyer was serious about changing he should have take Stephan Lewies and Paul Willemse or any other lock he rated with on tour.

We know FLip v d Merwe will be back, and also PS du TOit.

I would have put Etzebeth at 5, and tried all the possible combinations.

I quite like Lewies, he could have staked a claim during this tour.  

Give me Lood anyday......I cannot begin to understand how rugby followers can begin to question this kid after the s15 season he had. Hell he made the s15 side of the week on numerous occasions and was the runner up in the side of the s15 as a whole......this playing for the Cheetahs who got owned in most of their games.

Lood had a great test debut and followed that with an average one against Argentina, where most of the Boks that day were poor.

So based on that we have some dimwits questioning his credentials. He is twice the player that Matfield is now.

But the obvious choice is to select Etzebeth at 5 with Willemse at 4.

Jacques du Plessis, Willemse, Lood, Lewies, Kleyn, Mostert, PSDT and Ruan Botha are all better options than Matfield and Bakkies.