Pressure is always present in a Test match, and perhaps even more so when one of your teammates is playing in their 100th cap. Against the All Blacks, it will potentially ramp up even more.
However, former Springbok lock Victor Matfield believes the Boks will not be under any extra pressure as stalwart Pieter-Steph du Toit racks up a century of caps against New Zealand on Saturday afternoon in Cape Town.
It is the second match of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry at DHL Stadium (17:10 kick-off), and the South Africans have their backs against the wall following a loss in the first Test.
Speaking at a Peregrine Capital event celebrating the Springboks’ centurions, Matfield said the Boks will want to get back on track first and foremost, before looking to celebrate Du Toit’s milestone with a win.
"The pressure is always there, but I think as a team, you don’t want to focus on the individual—it’s what the team needs. And it’s Pieter-Steph du Toit’s 100th this weekend. Yes, of course, they’ll celebrate his 100th game, it’s big, but it’s all about the team.
"We want to win, we’re playing in a Springbok jersey, the country expects us to win, and that’s the focus. The focus is not about the guy playing his 100th and we want to win for him.
"It’s about being in a team, and all those players can tell you as well, it’s not about them, it’s about the team. If the team wins, the milestone is so much more special."
Matfield, who won 127 caps for the Springboks, also recalled the pressure he faced when he reached his own Test century. Unlike Percy Montgomery, John Smit, Jean de Villiers and Damian de Allende—who all lost against the All Blacks in their 100th—Matfield came out on the winning side.
"I remember going into my 100th, Peter de Villiers (former Bok coach) was like, ‘Do you want to be captain, maybe you must,’ I said, ‘Make John the captain, he’s our captain, we just need to win.’
"And I mean, we were down with 20 minutes to go; the pressure was there."
Matfield also said the Boks will definitely look to cut out their high error rate when they face the All Blacks again. He added that they will do everything in their power to win, even if it means taking the game by one point.
According to him, the Springboks could even be a bit more conservative in their approach, especially after giving possession away when they were in attacking positions.
"We’ve done it in a World Cup final or World Cup where we won three games in a row by one point. I think that’s the only thing that’s important on Saturday: we just need to win. It doesn’t matter what it takes.
"They just made too many mistakes, and I think if they sharpen up on that, with the talent and structures they’ve got, we should be fine on Saturday."