Victor Matfield, a titan of South African rugby, admitted he was floored by the Springboks' latest exploits on the field, particularly their stunning victory over France which he ranked even higher than their record-breaking win against the All Blacks. The Boks had previously handed New Zealand their largest defeat ever in September, a 43-10 drubbing in Wellington, which was pivotal in clinching the Rugby Championship title. Yet, it was the Boks' 32-17 triumph over France that left Matfield in awe, as discussed on the Rivals podcast.
The match against France was noteworthy not just for its scoreline but for the circumstances under which South Africa excelled. The Boks were down to 14 men shortly before halftime due to a red card for Lood de Jager, yet they managed to not only stem the French advance but also dominate the second half. "I thought it was just fantastic. I look at this team and think they can't surprise me more, they can't do better and then they give a performance like that," Matfield reflected.
"I really believe this was a better performance than the one we saw in Wellington against the All Blacks; how the guys came out in that second half."
Players like Malcolm Marx and Jasper Wiese were pivotal, with Matfield highlighting their contributions alongside strategic shifts like Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu's move to fullback and Manie Libbok's timely inclusion. Despite some errors, Matfield praised the team's ability to seize control at crucial moments, particularly noting a game-changing scrum. "All of a sudden, South Africa knew that the French can't stand up physically to them. Then they started controlling the collisions as well and it was game over. What a game by South Africa," he added.
The weekend of rugby also saw other surprising results, such as Italy's victory over Australia and Scotland’s close contest with the All Blacks, underscoring the high quality of international matches. Springboks’ performance was a standout, drawing parallels to the dominant All Blacks teams from 2011 to 2015. All Blacks legend Sir John Kirwan also praised the overall quality of the games and specifically the refereeing, which he felt enhanced the spectacle of the matches. "The refs when they get it right shows our game is pretty damn good and the South African-French game lived up to what we thought it would be," Kirwan commented. "The Springboks are number one at the moment. They’re like the All Blacks side from 2011 to 2015, they just keep getting better and better, so I can’t take anything away from them at the moment."
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Victor Matfield, a titan of South African rugby, admitted he was floored by the Springboks' latest exploits on the field, particularly their stunning victory over France which he ranked even higher than their record-breaking win against the All Blacks. The Boks had previously handed New Zealand their largest defeat ever in September, a 43-10 drubbing in Wellington, which was pivotal in clinching the Rugby Championship title. Yet, it was the Boks' 32-17 triumph over France that left Matfield in awe, as discussed on the Rivals podcast.
The match against France was noteworthy not just for its scoreline but for the circumstances under which South Africa excelled. The Boks were down to 14 men shortly before halftime due to a red card for Lood de Jager, yet they managed to not only stem the French advance but also dominate the second half. "I thought it was just fantastic. I look at this team and think they can't surprise me more, they can't do better and then they give a performance like that," Matfield reflected.
"I really believe this was a better performance than the one we saw in Wellington against the All Blacks; how the guys came out in that second half."
Players like Malcolm Marx and Jasper Wiese were pivotal, with Matfield highlighting their contributions alongside strategic shifts like Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu's move to fullback and Manie Libbok's timely inclusion. Despite some errors, Matfield praised the team's ability to seize control at crucial moments, particularly noting a game-changing scrum. "All of a sudden, South Africa knew that the French can't stand up physically to them. Then they started controlling the collisions as well and it was game over. What a game by South Africa," he added.
The weekend of rugby also saw other surprising results, such as Italy's victory over Australia and Scotland’s close contest with the All Blacks, underscoring the high quality of international matches. Springboks’ performance was a standout, drawing parallels to the dominant All Blacks teams from 2011 to 2015. All Blacks legend Sir John Kirwan also praised the overall quality of the games and specifically the refereeing, which he felt enhanced the spectacle of the matches. "The refs when they get it right shows our game is pretty damn good and the South African-French game lived up to what we thought it would be," Kirwan commented. "The Springboks are number one at the moment. They’re like the All Blacks side from 2011 to 2015, they just keep getting better and better, so I can’t take anything away from them at the moment."