Rugby: Logic of the winningest

The logic was clear. South African veterans like Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha and skipper John Smit would retire after this season.

After all, they had nothing left to win - and South Africa was sitting pretty as the 'winningest' nation in the brief history of the professional era.

The 2007 World Cup, the Tri Nations, the series against the Lions, the Bulls' superb - and embarrassing - dismissal of the Chiefs in the Super 14 final and, finally, the world sevens crown completed the picture.

No other nation has had such a complete hold over world rugby, at least in modern times.

The only thing they haven't done is to win a Grand Slam in the UK - and noises coming from coach Peter de Villiers suggested that an experimental Bok side will go to Europe later this year.

So it made sense - Matfield, Botha and Smit would hand over the baton of Bok rugby supremacy and slip seamlessly into retirement.

Along with Francois Steyn's shift to France and Jean de Villiers' move to Munster, there were fears that the "nothing left to win" syndrome would see other Boks opt for overseas pastures, as well as the natural flow of younger, second-tier players.

That would, in theory, bring the Boks back to the field as they tried to recover from the loss of the core of their forward pack, their lineout and their experience, plus the potential loss of young players like Steyn.

Only it may not be right.

Former All Black skipper and Herald on Sunday rugby columnist Sean Fitzpatrick said he recently discussed the likelihood of the three senior Boks retiring with former Springbok first five-eighths Butch James, currently playing in the UK.

"He told me that he had spoken to them and all three of them very much had 2011 [the Rugby World Cup] in mind," said Fitzpatrick.

If that is so, the Boks will be formidable customers, even if some observers might be tem-pted to suggest that the veterans may have strayed to the wrong side of the hill come 2011.

If Matfield, Botha and Smit are heading for retirement, they are sending out precious few signals suggesting so. After a season like that, the veterans would hardly be blamed for putting their feet up and taking a breather.

Far from it. Matfield - after a break last week - was back playing for the Blue Bulls this weekend as South Africa's Currie Cup approaches the final stages of pool play.

Smit manned the bench for the Sharks straight after the Tri Nations and was given a week off this weekend. Botha has a knee injury and wasn't considered otherwise he'd almost certainly have lined up for the Bulls as well.

It's all a far cry from New Zealand's will-they-won't-they approach to All Blacks returning to the Air NZ Cup after their Tri Nation exertions.

The Wellington All Blacks did, the Canterbury and Auckland All Blacks largely didn't - in spite of their team being hit with a bit of an injury crisis - and the Waikato guys will next week.

Matfield is 32, Smit 31 and Botha turned 30 just last week - none of them of an age that would absolutely rule them out of a World Cup tournament.

Matfield, interviewed during the Tri Nations, modestly assessed himself as having his work cut out to make the Bok World Cup squad in two years while, in the same breath, saying that the Springboks were a side that wouldn't hit a peak for another two years.

It's hardly the talk of someone preparing for a long-term seat in the lounger by the pool.

Matfield also returned from a sojourn in France last year, persuaded in part by a lucrative three-year "image rights" deal with a South African company - a deal that is not up until (surprise, surprise) 2011.

Matfield himself rates the current Springbok side better than the 2007 World Cup version, even though the personnel were largely the same - doubtless part of the reason for South Africa's success in recent times.

"The key is that we don't become content with what we have but I don't think this group will," he said in one interview.

"You could see it in the change room after the Brisbane defeat [to Australia]. The boys were gutted and it hurt for a couple of days. That showed the level of expectation within the side. In the past, Springbok sides would have been content with a narrow defeat in Australia or New Zealand. This one isn't."

Matfield also feels the balance of the Bok side is another key - and is clearly aware of his role in that balance.

"I think the experience of this side is key," he said. "But no team can survive with just experienced guys who have been there and done that, which is why Frans Steyn, Heinrich Br ssow and Morne Steyn, among others, are so important.

"They bring a freshness to the group and possess a fearlessness that you lose slightly as you get older. The senior players are able to rein them in when they get ahead of themselves and they inspire us to take more risks. So the balance of the group we have is excellent.

"The other thing is that in any successful team there has to be a clear identification of roles, other than the obvious technical ones related to your position.You can't have a team full of decision-makers. You have to have workers, those guys who get the job done. The Springboks are fine in this regard. There are three or four senior players who make strategic decisions and the rest are happy to get about executing the job."

Sharks assistant coach Grant Bashford outlined the difference in thinking about player welfare and internationals in provincial rugby ahead of this weekend's Currie Cup games, saying integrating Boks back into the team and player welfare had to be balanced with the need for success and disruption caused by making too many changes.

"We felt they [returning Bok players] did really well to get up and perform on the weekend," Bashford told the Sharks' website.

"For all teams who have lots of Boks, there are three parts to their campaign - the early part where they are growing as a young team while the Boks are away, then when they get them back, it's an important period of integration, which was last week. Getting the players back into the system, we got a win which was important.

"The third part is the final stages. We have a lot of confidence in our whole squad, it's a healthy position to be in and we can freshen players up, get everyone fit, strong and ready to go come the closing stages."

It's possible that one or more of Smit, Botha and Matfield will be spelled from the Boks end of year tour.

But don't bet on it. The Grand Slam is the only prize which cannot yet be listed in their rugby CVs.

Oh, and that of the first team to successfully defend a World Cup.