Matfield vows to make the most of final chance

TOMORROW’s World Cup final could be Victor Matfield’s last opportunity to pick up a major piece of silverware — and he is determined to grab it with both hands.

The lock is set to put his Springboks career on hold for at least two years following the World Cup, after signing a big-money deal with French second-division club Toulon.

His impending move to the south of France means Matfield, 30, will be off the radar for a while, so tomorrow’s Paris showpiece could be the last chance for rugby’s wider audience to see the second-rower in action.

He will be a big loss to the international stage. Matfield came into the World Cup with a copper-bottomed reputation and he has not disappointed over the past six weeks.

Like a number of his South Africa team-mates, he is leaving home shores to fill his boots in the cash-rich leagues of the northern hemisphere.

He may be back, as a 34-year-old, for the 2011 tournament in New Zealand, but for the moment he is happy to concentrate on matters in hand. “We know it’s the end of four years’ hard work, but I haven’t really thought about that,” he said.

“We are just looking at this as an opportunity, and I don’t think anyone knows what’s going to happen after the World Cup with the coaching staff and with some of the senior players.

“We’re only focusing on Saturday. Hopefully we can get a good win and we’ll look at the future after that.”

The second-row combination of Matfield and Bakkies Botha has served the Springboks well this tournament. Powerful in the loose and dominant in the line-out, they have established themselves as the number-one lock pairing at the World Cup.

They have one last hurdle to clear, though, and it comes in the shape of England duo Ben Kay and Simon Shaw on Saturday.

“They’re much the same as Bakkies Botha and myself really,” added the 66-times-capped Matfield.

“I think Ben Kay’s really the thinker of the line-out — he always comes up with something new so that’s going to be interesting.

“And I think Simon Shaw’s probably the closest lock you get to Bakkies — he’s very physical, a big boy. I think he has made a big difference for them. He just gives their forward pack a physical edge. He likes driving more than anything, so it’s a great combination.”

South Africa head coach Jake White believes the experience England gained from their World Cup final win in 2003 gives them a “massive advantage” tomorrow night.

“They have a huge advantage in that they can have team meetings and talk about what happens in the build-up to a World Cup final. I’ve only got one guy in my staff in Eddie Jones who is helping me unbelievably in terms of preparation.

“I can only imagine what sort of advantage they have with guys like Lawrence (Dallaglio) and (Martin) Corry talking, and (Phil) Vickery and maybe (head coach) Brian Ashton talking.

White has named an unchanged starting XV for the decider with tight-head prop CJ van der Linde shrugging off concerns over a knee problem.