'England was my Cup final'

24 November 2014 - 02:13 By Craig Ray
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Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha take part in a drill during a South Africa Springboks training session at Porirua Park on September 9, 2014 in Wellington, New Zealand.
Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha take part in a drill during a South Africa Springboks training session at Porirua Park on September 9, 2014 in Wellington, New Zealand.

"Beating England at Twickenham last week was my World Cup final.

I'm happy to go now." Those were the words Springbok lock Bakkies Botha uttered in the bowels of the Stadio Euganeo after the Boks had beaten Italy 22-6.

Botha called time on his illustrious Test career in a similar way to how he played - without fanfare but forcefully - moments after the Boks wrapped up their second victory on tour.

News of Botha's apparently sudden retirement rippled through the media centre, leading to lots of raised eyebrows.

Even Italian captain Sergio Parisse was caught by surprise. "I didn't know that. I'm sorry to hear it. I wish him well," he said.

But Botha was comfortable with the timing and the decision.

"I came to the final decision as I walked off the Twickenham pitch after last week's win over England," Botha said.

"I had blood on my face, but I was happy, because to me this was what playing rugby is all about.

"I'd just completed a tough game against a tough opponent, at a stadium that will host the World Cup final next year. I thought: 'This is my World Cup final, playing against England at Twickenham. This is how it's meant to be'."

Bok coach Heyneke Meyer said that Botha had informed him of his decision to retire during their Monday one-on-one session in Padova. It had also taken him by surprise.

"I was taken aback and asked him to think about it. I wanted to give him one last game and then bring Eben (Etzebeth) and Lood (de Jager) in, but he said he had made up his mind. Bakkies is too proud to take the jersey for free.

"He always put his body on the line. He realised that the Bok jersey is bigger than the individual," he said.

Meyer did hint that Botha would stay in shape and could be a back-up possibility for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England should an injury crisis hit the Boks.

But that is an unlikely scenario, with Botha determined that he is finished.

"I'm not someone who likes the limelight, so I wouldn't have been comfortable with a big send-off.

"Tonight I can say I'm a happy man. I've done my work for the Boks," he said.

The 35-year-old lock won the Rugby World Cup with the Springboks in 2007 and was victorious at almost every other level of the game. He has winners medals from the Rugby Championship (Tri-Nations) in 2004 and 2009, the 2009 British & Irish Lions series, Super rugby in 2007, 2009 and 2010, the Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup, as well as the Heineken Cup and French Top 14 with Toulon.

Botha is the seventh most-capped Springbok of all time, is a three-time SA rugby player of the year nominee (2003, 2004 and 2005) and holds the world record for playing the most Tests as a lock combination in the starting lineup with Victor Matfield (63).

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