Springbok coach Jake White and Blue Bulls lock Victor Matfield have, according to both men, kissed and made up after a successful meeting between the two at Loftus in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Relations between the two became strained last week after Matfield was sent home from Australia suffering from an apparent leg injury. However, he turned out for the Bulls on Saturday after being declared fit by Dr Daan du Plessis.
On the same day his Bok teammates were being beaten by the Wallabies in Perth, with the shambolic line-outs a chief contributor to the defeat.
White flew from Cape Town on Tuesday morning for the express purpose of patching things up with his line-out stalwart.
”We had a good talk,” confirmed Matfield. ”We know where we stand now and I’m happy that the problems there were will be sorted out.”
Meanwhile, White put the whole debacle down to a miscommunication.
”It was difficult because I was on the other side of the world and things were being said. By the time I heard it, it was second- or third-hand. I think we have cleared those issues up now.”
Matfield is not guaranteed of a fast track back into the Springbok squad with White saying he does not believe Matfield’s absence had a major bearing on the outcome of Saturday’s Tri-Nations Test against Australia.
”He has always been in the frame, but that said I’m going to look at the make-up [of the squad] and we will see if there is a place for him.
”I don’t think we battled in the line-outs because Victor was not there. If one player would have made all the difference in Perth I think that would be an indictment on our rugby.
”If he is in the squad he will have to pass a fitness test just like everyone else. That does not mean he is sure of being in the squad for the home Tests.”
White added that Matfield has ”never been out of the picture” and if he proves himself he will be considered once again.
The saga surrounding the towering second-rower was thought at one time to revolve around his pending case at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration against the South African Rugby Football Union, but White squashed those rumours for once and for all on Tuesday.
”It was a medical decision to send him home,” reiterated the coach. ”Perhaps the doc erred slightly on the side of caution in making his decision and I explained that to Victor.”
Also in attendance at the meeting was Blue Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer, who said he is happy with the outcome of the meeting.
”I’ve always had a good relationship with Jake and it was great to chat and work out where players stand and that does not just apply to Victor,” said Meyer.
White described the meeting as very positive and said he valued the contribution made by both Meyer and Matfield. White said it was necessary to meet the player and his provincial coach to make sure there were no grey areas when it came to communication between the respective parties.
”Victor understands that he must be 100% fit in order to play for the Springboks because I explained that we as a national team do not want to risk any player.
”The meeting was very positive and I explained to Victor as well as Heyneke what my expectations are,” said White.
White and the national selectors are to meet towards the end of this week to select the Springbok squad for the first return leg of the Tri-Nations against the All Blacks at Ellis Park next Saturday (August 14).
The Springboks will assemble on Sunday morning in Johannesburg where they will prepare for the Test against the All Blacks. All tickets for the match were sold out last week already. — Sapa