Springboks legend hails Wallabies star who made the Lions ‘look average’ with Bakkies Botha-esque tactics
Wallabies lock Will Skelton and an inset of Springboks legend Victor Matfield.
Victor Matfield has likened Wallabies star Will Skelton to his old locking partner Bakkies Botha after his impressive performance against the British and Irish Lions.
Nicknamed ‘The Enforcer’, Botha was renowned for his aggression on the pitch and often sparked scuffles by getting under the opposition’s skin.
Skelton followed a similar template in the second Test against the British and Irish Lions and even more so in the finale. He regularly squared up with the tourists, which is an area of the game that Matfield enjoys.
“No one could step up to him”
He believes that players like Skelton, Eben Etzebeth and Botha make Test matches easier to win as they rile up and intimidate the opposition.
“I’ve always said it, that’s it is always nice to have a Bakkies Botha or an Eben Etzebeth there when you go on the field, and you know that if you intimidate the opposition, you are in control, and that is what Skelton did on the weekend,” the legendary Springboks forward said on the Rivals podcast with Sir John Kirwan.
“He was pushing, and he was in control from the start, and no one could step up to him.”
Matfield added that the Lions missed that style of player for the finale against the Wallabies with Irish lock Joe McCarthy sidelined through injury, and it was only made worse when Maro Itoje sustained a head knock.
“The Lions missed a guy like Joe McCarthy and then Maro Itoje got injured as well and that tight-five looked very average,” he added.
“That big guy in the pack, the enforcer, if you have got him and you on the front foot, it just makes the Test match so much easier.”
Nic White’s role
Kirwan asked the former Springbok if he felt these kinds of intimidation tactics were “okay” and pointed to the first scuffle of the match when Skelton “deliberately” provoked the Lions.
“You’ve got him and then you have Nic White, who was at the front of it, of course, pushing, pulling and getting under the skins of guys. I think it’s part of rugby, if you can do it cleverly and without stepping over the line,” Matfield replied.
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“To be there in the opponent’s face, that’s what rugby is about, you need to dominate, be on the front foot and sometimes you need a bit of that [niggle] as long as you don’t overplay your hand with that intimidation.
“But Skelton knew no one could take him on; he is bigger and stronger than anyone else there. It’s good to get into a bit of a scuffle when you are on the front foot.”
The former second-rower believes that similar tactics were the Lions’ undoing during the 2021 series, with Itoje conceding the ‘Enforcer Battle’ to Etzebeth when he attempted to milk a penalty.
“On the previous Lions tour, Itoje tried to get into Eben Etzebeth, and Eben just walked all over him and in the second Test, he almost dived to win a penalty,” Matfield said.
“Once that happened, I knew the Test series was over because if your enforcer steps back trying to buy a penalty, rather than being the dominant one [it’s over]. But well done to Skelton.”
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