/ 18 June 2008

Boks will be merciless against Italy, says Matfield

Stand-in skipper Victor Matfield has vowed that the Springboks will be ”merciless” in Saturday’s one-off Test against Italy at Newlands.

Matfield, who is deputising for absent Bok skipper John Smit, was responding to speculation that the Springboks were under pressure to record a resounding win against Italy, who will be without 13 first-choice players on Saturday.

”It’s not just because it’s Italy. Every time a Springbok team runs out we want to be merciless — against any opposition,” said Matfield, who will be captaining the Boks for a fourth time.

”As along as we remain focused, we will play to our own very high standards.”

Matfield will have fond memories of Newlands, as he made his debut as a Bok skipper there last year when the Boks smashed Namibia 105-13 in a World Cup warm-up match. The Boks ran in 15 tries, of which 12 were converted by fullback Percy Montgomery.

On Saturday, the Boks will be without several key players (Smit, Montgomery, Butch James, Danie Rossouw, Fourie du Preez), but Matfield felt that the side was well-equipped enough to land the knock-out blow.

”It’s always nice to have our senior guys around, but I think we still have plenty of decision-makers in the team,” said Matfield. ”It will be all right. We had two good productive weeks against Wales, the Six Nations champions.”

Matfield said the clash against Italy will throw up a fresh set of challenges.

”Don’t look at their Six Nations results. It wasn’t great, but their performances were very good,” said Matfield. ”They’ll test us with the way they scrum. They drive well from line-outs and they compete well at the breakdown points. It will be different from anything we experienced against Wales.”

Unlike Matfield, one player who will not have fond memories of that 2007 Newlands clash is centre Jean de Villiers. He scored a try in the match but he picked up a rib injury that forced him to miss other World Cup warm-up matches.

On Tuesday, De Villiers said that even after an injury-free Super 14 campaign, he still has not reached peak form.

”I’m getting there but I’m not at my best yet,” said the Bok centre. ”I’m looking forward to the rest of the year when I can peak, and hopefully that will come during the Tri-Nations.”

De Villiers said the match against Italy was important for the development of the Springboks ahead of the Tri-Nations campaign.

”We’ve got goals as a team, and the Italy Test will tell us where we are as a team,” said De Villiers. ”This match will throw up quite a few answers about our team, and where we are at this stage.

”Italy is a Six Nations team and we are the World Champions. We have to play like world champs.

”The match gives us another chance to get structures in place. We’re still trying to get the same mindset going so that all the decision-makers, from the backs, forwards and coaching staff, are all on the wavelength.”

De Villiers said that the matches against Wales exposed a few shortcomings.

”There were times when we were too loose,” said De Villiers. ”We tried to make metres out wide but then we weren’t able to set up phases after that.

”There’s a few other things that we have to work on, like losing the ball in contact [situations].

”Obviously against quality Tri-Nations teams the quick rate of counter-attacking demands that all our playing patterns must be in order.”

Two other survivors from the Newlands rout, CJ van der Linde and Schalk Burger — who scored three tries in the match — are both doubtful starters for Saturday. Burger has only just returned after knee surgery and Van der Linde is nursing a slight hamstring strain.

Bok coach Peter de Villiers said that he would be guided by medical advice when he decides if these two players will be in his line-up for the Newlands Test. — Sapa