With Victor Matfield unlikely to play this weekend due to a hamstring strain, joining Pieter-Steph du Toit on the injured list, the Springboks had only three fit locks in their squad before coach Heyneke Meyer called up Flip van der Merwe, who has settled a contractual dispute with the South African Rugby Union.
But All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster wasn’t reading much into the apparent “crisis” at lock.
“South Africa are never short of quality locks and although they lost a little at the lineout when Matfield went off at the weekend, they certainly didn’t lose anything around the park. Both Etzebeth and De Jager showed a huge work-rate. We totally respect all the locks that put on a Springbok jersey,” Foster said on Monday.
Brodie Retallick, the World Rugby Player of the Year in 2014, said he would be disappointed if a potential duel with Matfield does not eventuate.
“I hope Victor plays, everyone knows how good he is and you want to play against the best,” Retallick said.
