Victor Matfield makes the last appearance of his illustrious international career on Friday evening, with the second row handed the captain’s armband for South Africa’s Rugby World Cup bronze medal match against Argentina.
The Olympic Stadium clash with the Pumas will be the 127th – and final – cap of a 14-year period in which he has made his name as a modern legend of the sport. A Rugby World Cup winner in 2007, Matfield also played in the 2003 and 2011 tournaments as well as the most recent edition of the sport’s global showcase.
Matfield is one of just two changes that coach Heyneke Mayer has made to the Springboks’ team which started Saturday’s semi-final against New Zealand, with Ulster scrum-half Ruan Pienaar coming in for the injured Fourie du Preez.
Friday’s game kicks off at 8pm, with coverage starting on ITV1 at 7:30pm.
Matfield will then join up with the Saints for the Aviva Premiership and European Rugby Champions Cup campaigns, and you can get behind him and the rest of the team by snapping up tickets now at www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/buytickets, using Print@Home to beat the match day queues and save the admin fees.
