Springbok head coach Heyneke Meyer is confident that Springbok captain Victor Matfield will prove that he is still one of the best locks in world rugby.
Meyer on Tuesday announced that Matfield would be installed as the interim captain for the June series of matches against a World XV, Wales twice and Scotland.
Regular skipper Jean de Villiers, who is currently out injured, will return for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship in August.
Matfield spent the last two years working for SuperSport as a commentator and as a coach, but now after an impressive comeback season with his beloved Blue Bulls Matfield is back in the Springbok setup.
Meyer admitted that he would have chosen Bismarck du Plessis as his captain if the appointment was a more long-term role, but that Matfield was the perfect fit for the interim role.
“Being captain is a huge honour but also carries with it much responsibility. I watched Victor captain a young Bulls team in Super Rugby and, with respect to the other guys who have done the job, he brought out something special in that side and did much better than the other captains did,” said Meyer.
“I wouldn’t choose a captain that wasn’t definitely worth a place in the starting team. Last year our regular captain, Jean, was in excellent form and won the SA Rugby Player of the Year Award. Victor has made a strong comeback to his playing career and I am pretty sure he will prove that he is still one of the top No 5 locks in the world.”
