You see tennis players, golfers, cricketers, formula one racers come back to the top of the sport after retiring. But rarely do the rugby guys come back. My guess is, in part, they start to grasp what they the game has done to their bodies.
So greats like Matfield look contented on the sidelines. And it's nice to see a chap like Victor enjoy the game from a different perspective. A great that we never saw do anything dishonourable on the rugby field, he played it hard and clean as a whistle.
One of the best locks to ever play the game, if not the best
It is true that Old Vic never really resorted to dirty play, but he was not really squeaky clean. He did knock off an All Black's jaw. I can, for the life of me, not remember the name. I was at a function were Tappe Henning was present and had a little informal law discussion. He highlighted some of the stuff that our friends in Black from a certain group of islands used to get away with, especially in the line-outs. He then said something like: ".... and for those of you who think Victor Matfield is a softy, let me show you a clip...........", and then he showed the clip where you can see the big man moer his opponent in the line-out. He then said, with a bit of a giggle: ".............. oh yes, and he was cited, and he was cleared..........."
The incident you are referring to is his forearm catching Kelleher in the jaw in the 2005 Newlands test. It was just after a lineout, and to be fair, Matfield was behind him as his arm reached out to knock the ball out of his hands. Just caught the poor sod in an awkward angle. The New Zealand press made a meal of it though.
