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Cape Town - Former Springbok assistant coach Gary Gold believes a return to the Springbok fold by retired lock Victor Matfield could be beneficial.
Bok coach Heyneke Meyer earlier expressed an interest for Matfield to make a return to the playing field for the upcoming three-Test series against England in June.
And even though the idea looks highly unlikely with the series less than a month away, Gold nevertheless feels that Matfield could play a crucial role in the rest of the season.
He did pick Andries Bekker as his No 5 lock but feels Matfield could provide suitable backup.
"Andries Bekker is the logical choice for me as No 5 lock and I don't think there was any doubt about that. He has proved himself at the highest level, but the question remains: What is the plan if he gets injured? That's when you need an experienced guy to provide leadership.
"You could let Victor start a Test and send Eben Etzebeth on for the last half hour to give him Test experience. He is an unbelievable athlete.
"We need to trust Heyneke. He knows what he's doing," Gold told Die Burger.
Gold was last week appointed as director of rugby at English club Bath after spending the last four months trying to revive the fortunes of English Premiership strugglers Newcastle.
He was assistant coach of the Springboks during Peter de Villiers's reign from 2008-2011.
Bok coach Heyneke Meyer earlier expressed an interest for Matfield to make a return to the playing field for the upcoming three-Test series against England in June.
And even though the idea looks highly unlikely with the series less than a month away, Gold nevertheless feels that Matfield could play a crucial role in the rest of the season.
He did pick Andries Bekker as his No 5 lock but feels Matfield could provide suitable backup.
"Andries Bekker is the logical choice for me as No 5 lock and I don't think there was any doubt about that. He has proved himself at the highest level, but the question remains: What is the plan if he gets injured? That's when you need an experienced guy to provide leadership.
"You could let Victor start a Test and send Eben Etzebeth on for the last half hour to give him Test experience. He is an unbelievable athlete.
"We need to trust Heyneke. He knows what he's doing," Gold told Die Burger.
Gold was last week appointed as director of rugby at English club Bath after spending the last four months trying to revive the fortunes of English Premiership strugglers Newcastle.
He was assistant coach of the Springboks during Peter de Villiers's reign from 2008-2011.
