Springbok hopeful turns to line-out guru Victor Matfield ahead of Irish Tests

Springboks legend Victor Matfield revealed that Stormers second-row Ruben van Heerden sought out his advice ahead of the mid-year Tests that include two matchups with Ireland.

Matfield who is still the most capped Springbok of all-time is considered as one of the great exponents of the line-out in the game’s history in his specialist role of number five lock for South Africa during his playing days.

Asking the best

It is this esteemed reputation of the former Springbok that urged Van Heerden to ask about what he needs to do to make the next step in the same role Matfield once thrived in.

The Stormer reaching out to Matfield seemed to impress the Test centurion who believes a big part of success in the role is taking responsibility.

“He called me out of the blue and asked if he could come and talk to me,” Matfield told Rapport. “He said he sees himself as a No 5 lock and he wants to call the lineout. He made an effort to get to me and we talked about it.

“That’s what you want from your No 5 lock. You want him to take responsibility for the lineouts and take ownership of things to make it a success. And he does it very well (at the Stormers).”

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Clear goal

Van Heerden is well-settled in the number five lock position for the Stormers and is easily one of the most consistent players in Cape Town blue. Having been included in the first Springboks alignment camp this year, the second-row is ready to make the step up.

“I always believed my chance to play bigger rugby and maybe Test rugby was better at five-lock than four-lock,” Van Heerden told Rapport.

“Dobbo (John Dobson) and Rito (Hlungwani) are the only coaches who really backed me when I said I wanted to play five-lock. I looked them in the eye and said I believed that I can become a No 5 for the Springboks.

“I really enjoy the analysis of the lineouts – the strategy and the fact that you have to think on your feet all the time in the game,” he added.

“It’s almost like a game of chess. You look at what the other team is doing and react to it. You always try to be two steps ahead. It’s almost a game within the game.”

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