The Matfield factor

 

The All Blacks' coach Steve Hansen made three changes to his starting line-up to face the Springboks in Wellington, two of them coming in the forwards due to injuries to Whitelock and flank Liam Messam.

 

The replacements for the injured forwards have clearly been geared towards patching up the hole that the All Blacks line-out maestro Sam Whitelock will leave behind.

 

Jeremy Thrush may be the fourth choice lock (behind Dominic Bird, Patrick Tuipulotu and the injured Whitelock) but at least he can still control the line-out, and flank Steven Luatua has been selected for his aerial prowess over the shorter Sam Cane.

 

The weight of Victor Matfield's line-out dominance on Hansen's mind is clearly a factor for the All Blacks coach – and understandably so, but for the Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer it does not necessarily mean total dominance in the set-piece.

 

"To say dominate the All Blacks is a big call," Meyer said.

 

"One of the areas where they made a huge step up in the last few years is definitely the line-outs.

 

"They have always been, speaking with humility, eight or nine years back, a little bit vulnerable in the line-out and perhaps also in the kicking game, now the line-outs are one of their strengths."

 

Meyer is clear that the loss of Whitelock may be a minor setback, but it does not spell out a total collapse of the All Blacks' line-outs.

 

"In the last two or three years they are up there with the best, if not thee best in line-outs.

 

"What also makes it difficult, is their kicking game," Meyer continued when talking of the improvements in the All Black's game.

 

Meyer went on to praise his line-out maestro hinting at the fear factor that Matfield brings in defensive line-outs.

 

"Unfortunately they [opposition to the Springboks] don't throw a lot to where Matfield is, but that puts pressure on the other jumpers," Meyer said.

 

"He has been great coming back, and our line-outs have improved – I think we've been 100 percent in the last two games.

 

"He is a big part of our line-out, but you have to have more jumpers than that and I am happy with the amount of jumpers we have in the team. 

 

The Springboks' options are vast and varried with the towering Eben Etzebeth becoming an impressive defencive line-out option himself, this comes after poaching three line-outs against the Wallabies last weekend.

 

The Boks of course also have Matfield as well as Duane Vermeulen and Marcell Coetzee who are able options at the set-piece.

 

"It is the same for them [the All Blacks], they also have a quality pack and a lot of great line-out jumpers."

 

Matfield was also on hand to provide comment on the magnitude of the game and what it means to defeat the All Blacks, a feat that Matfield has done eight times.

 

We want to win this game, we want to win the championship," he said.

 

"The more you can beat the All Blacks the better because you might face them in a World Cup and we know they are going to the World Cup as favourites.

 

"There are a few [Springboks] who haven't beaten them so it will be great if we can get in their heads that they're not invincible."

 

The All Blacks and Springboks have faced each other in 87 Tests, with the New Zealanders winning 50 and losing 34, while three were drawn.