Thu 10 Mar 2016 | 02:00
Victor Matfield's perfectly executed one handed lineout take against Saracens

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Victor Matfield turns 39 in a few months' time, but he is still doing what he's best at, dominating lineouts and showing off those silky skills that we've come to appreciate since he first played in South Africa's Currie Cup way back in 1999.

Now, with a World Cup and many other accolades behind him, he is showing that the old dog still has many tricks, as he helped Northampton Saints to a 20-15 victory over table-topping Saracens.

While Saints are positioned fifth on the Aviva Premiership table, Matfield has said that since moving up north from the Bulls a few months back, he's been impressed with the standard.

"There is no easy game in the Premiership which has been the one thing that has surprised me. I really thought that there were four or five teams that stood out above the other teams but every week is a competitive game and there is so many great players here that you don't even know about," he said recently.

The plan when moving to Saints was that he would not play every match, and while he got his first full 80 minutes a few weeks back, he has said that it has been an adjustment.

"My body has enjoyed not playing week in and week out but I'm used to playing regularly so I have found it tough to get momentum as often but hopefully I can still make a difference in a vital game.

"I hope to get some more game time in the next few weeks and get the momentum going," he said, before sympathising with the northern hemisphere players. 

"Playing through the winter has been tough. Training on these soft fields every day is not easy and the conditions doesn't make it easy either."

It's not the first time we've ever seen a player win their lineout ball with one hand, but like Simon Shaw and Brad Thorn before him, it's great to see this legend of the game still performing at such a high level, despite fast approaching 40.

10 Comments

  • katman
    9:57 AM 15/03/2016

    That's my point. He's not. He is about as unanimously regarded as a rugby legend and hero as any mortal human could possibly be. He'd be The Father to McCaw's The Son and Carter's The Holy Ghost.

  • drg
    10:05 AM 14/03/2016

    Not suggesting you're incorrect at all Katman, but for this immense man to be hated by any is a travesty!

  • 10stonenumber10
    5:01 PM 13/03/2016

    In the land of assault rifles and camouflage themed weddings, Bakkies' special brand of physicality is revered...

  • katman
    3:02 PM 13/03/2016

    Hated by many of his countrymen? Um, no he isn't. He's still considered a living legend by just about everybody round here. You will always find a few detractors, but to say that Matfield is hated in SA couldn't be further off the mark.

  • drg
    3:40 PM 12/03/2016

    hmm, I did suspect it was to do with his coming out of retirement. I think you're 100% right with your last paragraph, he's definitely lost some of what he had as a younger player, but on the other side, he's gained something extra that can only be picked up in experience.

    Similar to many old heads, for instance, BOD. He lost his pace, but he gained other important attributes such as leadership and even more vision....

  • girshin
    12:33 AM 12/03/2016

    It started I believe after he came out of retirement.

    People seemed angry that he was being picked implying it was on past glories instead of form. They were also some that believed he was part of a group of players picked simply so they could get paid, not because they were the best, i.e. cronyism. The last I recall was some some bulls players allegedly complaining that senior players had a clique going which was disruptive to the team.

    It seemed like nonsense to me, no proof, but I saw many buy into these allegations, South Africans are brutal like that, specially when political gains can be made.

    He might not have been quite as good around the park as in his younger days. But he was the best 5 in the country consistently considering his experience, lineout dominance and he still made his tackles.

  • dancarter
    5:27 PM 11/03/2016

    You'd think if they were going to hate one of their own second rows it would be Bakkies Botha. Either way, both of them are 2 of the best locks to ever play the game, and they were one of the best second row partnerships of all time.

  • drg
    9:09 AM 11/03/2016

    Was he? I never realised he was disliked :/

  • danknapp
    7:40 PM 10/03/2016

    Nothing else needs to be said.

  • drg
    5:58 PM 10/03/2016

    *drooool*