Share

Matfield: Now I can sleep

Pretoria - Bulls captain Victor Matfield said that he would sleep much easier than the previous time his team enjoyed a week off during the Super Rugby competition.

Speaking after his team's 43-27 victory over the Chiefs at Loftus on Saturday, the Springbok stalwart admitted that he would have fewer worries during the break than he had after his side suffered a 35-28 loss to the Highlanders.

"Hopefully I can sleep a bit better this week," said Matfield.

"The last time I didn't sleep for a week so we will take this time with our families, but then we have to get back to business as we are still under pressure and we are very low on the log."

Staying true to the team's philosophy of taking it week-by-week, Matfield insisted that their come-from-behind win would not be seen as a turning point in the season.

"We are not looking at it like that.

"Nothing has turned - we just have to win another game in two weeks time and that is the game against the Rebels."

Following their tough tour, during which they only managed to win one of four matches, Bulls coach Frans Ludeke admitted that there were some lessons his men could learn from the losses they suffered.

"Obviously we believe that something good can come from every situation," said Ludeke.

"We worked hard and there were a lot of areas in our game that we sorted out, so hopefully we can build on that.

"When you lose, a team that has character digs deep and they just get closer."

Ludeke also made a tough call ahead of the Chiefs battle by demoting star wing Bjorn Basson to the bench for arriving late at a team meeting.

Basson was replaced by Akona Ndungane who played superbly in his first start of the season.

Ludeke would not, however, go into detail about his decision to punish the Springbok speedster.

"I think we have sorted it, it was a big call.

"Obviously it worked out for the best for the side as well.

"It is a small thing, but we had to act on it."

The Bulls had no major injury concerns to report after their match against the Chiefs.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE