The end of the Road for Matfield?

 SB
Matfield at his prime had a number of attributes in his armoury to help him in the game, namely -
*   his abilities in line out jumping;*   his ability to catch kick in balls when the ball is kicked in to near where he is standing waiting to receive kick-ins; and *   his ability to stand around at the back of mauls to carry balls in open field carries -  he never was noted for being involved in the strong stuff up front. 
Now lets look at the line-outs issue.   Matfield did well in line-outs in the June tests and by the time of the EOYT his line out takes became a rarity.   Strange since he avoided line out calls to himself after he lost a line-out or spilled the ball back at crucial stages in the RC tests - ie against the All Blacks in two cases at crucial times during the RC tests.   By the EOYT his calling of line-outs to himself became so rare i happened on average only three to four times per test.   In the first two Super 15 this game he did the same - more so against the Stormers than against the Hurricanes.
Kick-in ball receipt is a rarity since balls are nowadays rarely kicked near the lock catches and the tactic has changed.   Lighter players - often enough backline players supported by forward toughies - is used to catch balls at kick-ins and the locks are not supported like the case was in the past.  
You must be serious mistaken  when stating "Matfield's biggest contribution outside of lineouts and kick offs, is as a cleaner at rucks. The Bulls often leave their ball unprotected at rucks, so Matfield functions as a cleanout fetcher."    I  cannot remember having seen anything like Matfield functioning as a fetcher in the past and since his return to rugby last year what was most often the case was his avoidance of entering mauls.
Unfortunately Matfield came back as a reputation player because of his roll in line-outs and receipt of kick-ins.   The latter always was a rarity with very little effect on the outcome of games - the former was far more important.   However, Matfield never was and never will be a player that could handle the strong stuff up front.   At this stage he is physically seriously defective  and that is the reason for not calling balls to himself in line outs when up against stronger line-out jumpers.
However, Matfield is well aware that he is playing on reputation - not actual performance and I think he will either avoid selection for the game against the Sharks - he might be "rested" - or even if he is selected he will avoid like the plague calling line-outs to himself when opposed by Du Toit.
The game has moved on from the past and Matfield's reputation is largely negated by his lack of physicality in the Tight 5.   That has become a negative that cost the Springboks dearly in the tests and Bulls in the Super 15 matches.   Matter of fact he should have kept out of returning - since he is nowadays no asset for the teams he played for.