Springbok pairing enhances already exceptional parts

He was a legend in his time, and his name continues to be revered - not just among South African rugby followers.

Go anywhere in the world where the game is played and the name Frik du Preez brings warm smiles, a metaphorical doff of the cap in acknowledgment of one of the finest players the game has known.

South Africa has been fortunate with its big men. It has mined from a rich seam, unearthing strong, physical players able to withstand and hand out the blows required to survive in their particular jungle. The genes have produced players not just of physical power but mental courage, an inner steel that separates the good from the great.

It might seem sacrilege to mention du Preez's name in the same breath as others, such is the exalted status he enjoys. Yet the great man himself readily acknowledges the claims of a new lock-forward combination to potential future Springbok immortality.

"Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield are, in my eyes, already the best second row pairing in the world. And at 25 and 28 respectively, they can still get better in the years to come," says du Preez.

Du Preez regards them with immense respect.

"I think the two of them are the driving force in the Springbok team at the moment, and I rate them highly."

Great locks go together. They hunt in pairs. Their effectiveness is enormously enhanced when that combination is a partnership of ideals.

For example, two out-and-out, pure lineout jumpers may seem the perfect pairing, a guaranteed source of possession in this critical area of the game. But where is the enforcer, the man able to protect the jumper? Without him, the opposition can spoil and foul without interruption, thereby largely negating the value of what had seemed an ideal selection.

That is the beauty of the Botha-Matfield pairing. Who argues with Botha, a man mountain whose very physical presence is sufficient to make even the toughest bruiser think twice about mixing it?

Beside him, Matfield is the purer jumper, the salmonlike leaper, although Botha can secure plenty of his own ball, too. But if Matfield requires support, a guaranteed aerial route, who better than his Blue Bulls partner to provide that help.

Du Preez understands implicitly the point.

"It is the combination that makes them so special. They know each other well. You always have a favourite lock partner to play with, and clearly these two enjoy each other's company.

"The game has changed a lot since I played, but the basics are still the same. I preferred to play with Johan Claassen when I began my international career. He was a great forward, and the opposition were all worried about him, which helped me a lot.

"Later on, I liked to have John Williams as my partner. He was a great lineout jumper, and again our opponents were so worried about him they didn't take any notice of me."

False modesty, I suspect. But the point is taken concerning combinations. And the Botha-Matfield axis puts a broad smile on the face of the former Springbok great.

"I get a lot of pleasure from watching fine players like Botha and Matfield. And I've enjoyed seeing the Springboks as a whole this year.

"They started off not too well but all of a sudden have started to play good rugby. It is always difficult to beat Australia and New Zealand over in their countries, but I believe we have got a chance this year."

If Jake White's Springboks are to win in Dunedin today, you can bet that two men will play crucial roles - Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield.

They have the power and the class to trouble the best and create a forward platform from which their colleagues can strike out for glory.

South African rugby is fortunate to have them. Lock forward partnerships of this quality don't come along too often.

* Peter Bills is a rugby writer with Independent News & Media