I was very impressed with the performance of Victor Matfield on Saterday. We have over the past few years witnessed the value of Victor as a lineout specialist and above all – a clever rugby player! He brings fear to the opposition with his ability to “work out” lineout calls. On Saterday he proved his value as a defender as well and did much more than dominate the lineout play!
A lineout in rugby is one of the best platforms for attack and is a very technical part of the game. There are many strategies that the couch potato might not be aware of. These strategies revolves not only on which players are to receive the ball where in the lineout, but also the desired trajectory, the “timing” of the throw-in etc. This requires hours of work and careful analysis of the opposition etc.
A part of the game of rugby that often does not receive a mention is the importance of support in the lineout. It is important that the players around the “designated” jumper on a specific lineout throw are well aware of their task in allowing the jumper to time his jump to perfection and to have peace of mind that he will be supported!
I have come across this photo taken during the Test between the Springboks and the All Blacks by Gerhard Steenkamp from Superimage Media. This is one of the best photos I have seen illustrating the elevation of a lineout jump by Victor Matfield and the quality support play from Bakkies Botha and Juan Smith.
I thought I’d share this with fellow rugby supporters. May we all enjoy the rugby and be safe on the road to the rugby stadium!
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