Meyer wants more than just Matfield

Victor Matfield as a short-term captain may be the talking point, but new Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has a number of other exiled veterans in his sights.

Meyer, who revealed the make-up of his backroom staff at a media briefing in Pretoria, confirmed that he had been speaking to every player and every ex-player about the three-Test series against England in June.

After England the Boks will play newcomers Argentina, Australia and world champions New Zealand home and away in the Rugby Championships (expanded from the Tri-Nations to include the Pumas), and Tests in Ireland, Scotland and England in November.

However, Meyer – true to his rugby philosophy – is determined to get off to a winning start against Europe’s second best team, after England finished second behind Grand Slam winners Wales in the Six Nations recently.

Meyer, at the timer of his appointment earlier this year, made it clear that he believes in only two ‘styles’ of play – winning rugby and losing rugby.

And losing to England with an inexperienced group is not on the menu for Meyer.

Matfield, who has 110 caps for the Boks, is currently a television analyst and getting out of that contract may be the biggest stumbling block in the way of returning to the playing field.

However, having been helping out at and running around at training with the Bulls, Meyer believes the 34-year-old Matfield could be “knocked into shape” through a few extra sessions with the fitness coach.

Matfield has not ruled out a comeback, although he repeatedly said that he won’t be able to take six months off and then start playing again.

It would mean he would need to play some Super Rugby in the next month. Also, whether the Bulls will be prepared to axe one of their regular locks – Juandré Kruger, Flip van der Merwe and Wilhelm Steenkamp have all been in fine form – remains to be seen.

However, there could be playing opportunities at the Sharks, who have a number of second row injuries, the Cheetahs, who are also thin at lock, or even the Stormers, who suffered two injury setbacks in the second row at the weekend.

Meyer confirmed at the media scrum in Pretoria that Matfield was a certainty to join the Springbok team as a line-out consultant, and also revealed that with many SA locks injured, there was serious consideration for him to make a handful of appearances.

“Victor is certainly going to play a big part in helping with structures and line-out jumpers throughout South Africa,” the Bok coach said.

“I’m also going to make use of other consultants. As I’ve said before, you can’t coach in the week or two before the England series or the Rugby Championship,” Meyer said – indicating that he will bank on “experience” in the opening matches of his tenure.

Meyer made it clear that Matfield is not the only player he could be targeting for his first outing as Bok coach.

“At this stage, I’m speaking to every single player out there and at the moment I am worried about the crisis at lock,” he said of injuries that could rule out frontline choices like Andries Bekker, Eben Etzebeth and Alistair Hargreaves.

“[But] I am talking to every ex-player out there and I will make a decision when the time is right,” Meyer added.

It has been suggested that Meyer could recall several players from abroad – with the names of scrumhalf Fourie du Preez (Japan), locks Bakkies Botha (France) and Danie Rossouw (Japan), prop Gurthrö Steenkamp (France), centre Jaque Fourie (Japan) and utility back Francois Steyn (France) being bandied about.

Steyn has already indicated that he will return from Racing Metro at the end of the European season to rejoin the Sharks in Durban.

“Most players still want to play for their country, but there are just some administrative challenges that we are facing,” Meyer told the media.

“If I’m not mistaken, IRB rules now allow us to call on guys in the week leading up to a Test, and their clubs cannot refuse.

“However, this won’t apply for training camps.

“SARU has a list of the names of players I want, but that will depend on how the negotiations go.

“I am looking at overseas-based players especially for the first Test against England. I want to have an experienced team.

“We are in talks with a few guys. Everyone is positive,” Meyer added.

While he will start with an experienced group, the Bok mentor is not dismissing the claims of the many talented youngsters that have come through the ranks this year.

Players like Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi and Steven Kitshoff (all Stormers), Johan Goosen (Cheetahs), Juandré Kruger and CJ Stander (Bulls) are among those who have impressed the Bok coach.

“I think there are a lot of great youngsters coming through,” he said.

“But my policy, especially for England, will probably be to go with a more experienced side,” he said, adding: “The focus will be to beat England and get the youngsters to learn.”