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The 124kg 'enforcer' Matfield tips to 'take over' from Etzebeth
Leinster knew what was coming their way in their Investec Champions Cup quarter-final against holders La Rochelle, and they prepared accordingly.
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It is not necessarily hard to predict what is going to come from a team that boasts literal and figurative rugby giants in the form of Will Skelton and Uini Atonio, weighing 290kg combined, but the last two Champions Cup finals have given Leinster an extra taste of what the Top 14 powerhouse bring.
Leo Cullen and Jacques Nienaber fielded a team that would confront Ronan O’Gara’s side head-on, with 124kg lock Jason Jenkins coming in for his first start in over a month. He repaid their faith handsomely.
In a display where La Rochelle’s power up front was completely neutralised, the South African was at the heart of Leinster’s cause as they won 40-13. Only one Leinster player made more tackles than the lock, despite coming off the field with half an hour to play.
It was a display that would have caught the eye of South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus.
Jenkins has just one cap to his name in what was an almost unrecognisable Springboks team against Wales in the USA in 2018.
Injuries have not helped chances, but he has been in Springbok camps since 2018 which shows he is on the radar. His move to the Sharks at the end of the season will see him move from on the radar to smack-bang in Erasmus’ face week in, week out.
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What’s more, he has recently received an endorsement from Victor Matfield. As far as endorsements go for a South African lock, they don’t get much better than one from the legendary second row and the Springboks’ most-capped player ever.
Speaking at a BKT United Rugby Championship media call recently, the Bulls great recalled coaching Jenkins and fellow Springbok lock RG Snyman as teenagers when his career had come to an end and their Bulls career was blossoming.
“When I retired, I coached him and RG Snyman as 19-year-old boys and I must say I was very impressed,” he said.
“He only started playing rugby as a 16-year-old, and just the skillset, the work rate, he’s a big boy, a strong boy that likes to get on the front foot.”
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The Springboks are not exactly suffering from a dearth of second rows currently, but Matfield was nevertheless surprised Jenkins failed to make the World Cup last year, but is backing him to break back into the national set-up in the future. Not only that, but he actually sees him as Eben Etzebeth’s heir in the South Africa No4 jersey.
He added: “I actually thought last year he would have been in the Springboks squad for the World Cup as well. I was very surprised when he didn’t make it.
“He’s coming back to South Africa, I think we’ll see him in a Springboks jersey pretty soon and he’s probably a guy that might take over from Eben Etzebeth as that hard worker, enforcer, just being in your face and getting back to partnering RG Snyman. Both of them are very good mates as well.
“I think he’s a fantastic player. He’s got a very high work rate, good skill set, and he likes to get stuck in as well. He’s that real No4 type of forward that you would like in your team.”
Jenkins is only four years Etzebeth’s junior, so their careers will largely overlap. But a four-year age gap means the Leinster man may have an extra World Cup cycle in him.
Crucially, with his solitary cap, he has not been ravaged by the demands of Test rugby, meaning there is a chance his career could go well into his 30s. Deon Fourie has shown in recent years that your age is in no way a barrier to entry for selection.
In Matfield’s eyes it is a case of when, rather than if, Jenkins gets into the Springboks squad, and when he does, he is tipping him for big things.
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments