Bulls will ease Matfield back into Super Rugby

Former Springbok and Bulls captain will return to the rugby field during the 2014 Super Rugby season with his former team the Bulls and will eased back into the game.

News of Matfield’s return to playing after two years in retirement has been met with mixed reaction but he will be used “sparingly” to ensure he is ready.

Sources have told SuperSport that Matfield has been practising with the Bulls since early December and plans to take on a player and coaching role.

While South African Rugby officials and the Bulls have yet to confirm his return Matfield has been given the green light by the coaching staff and fitness experts.

The former Bulls captain now only needs an administrative clearance before he can return to the field which is most likely the reason why his return has not been confirmed yet.

Matfield won three Super Rugby titles with the Bulls and the first of these was under the now Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer. According to reports Meyer still sees Matfield as the answer to the lack of a quality number five lock at national level.

Matfield and Meyer were hoping that the former No.5 could mentor a replacement but no standout candidate came forward so Matfield was apparently convinced to make the comeback.

The former line out King has kept up his fitness levels by mountain biking amongst other activities and trained under current Bok conditioning coach Basil Carzis and more recently Bulls conditioning coach, Andre Volsteedt in Pretoria.

It is expected that in the weeks that Matfield will not be playing he will take up a role as coach and as mentor for the younger players in the squad.

SuperSport have likened Matfield’s return to playing rugby after two seasons in retirement with that of Bob Skinstad who came back in 2007 and went on to win the Rugby World Cup later that year.

Skinstad is said to have been instrumental in squad morale for the younger players and gave much experience to the dirt trackers at the Rugby World Cup.