Victor Matfield: All Blacks pressure forced Springboks back to physical DNA

Speaking on the Rugby Rivals podcast, Matfield said the pressure of the series saw the Boks largely stick to what they know best rather than expanding their attack.

"I think you could see the pressure in this Test series. We went back to what we know, what our DNA is; really being physical, being very direct," said the Bok legend.

He contrasted the approach with the games leading into the series, when South Africa showed greater ambition with ball in hand.

"I thought last year our attacking game, we were a bit more expansive, we took a few more chances that we haven't done in this series," Matfield said.

With the high-stakes series now behind them, Matfield expects the Springboks to loosen the reins and inject more creativity into their game again.

"We'll probably see it now with the pressure being off, you'll see South Africa go and add a little bit of attack to their game," he said.

"We'll be bit more brave with ball in hand and keep possession a little bit more."

Looking ahead, Matfield signalled that the squad is settled enough for significant experimentation.

"I think we're happy with the squad and I think now we'll see a lot of changes for South Africa," he said.

"In the next few games, I think we will see a lot of younger players getting an opportunity and they must show what they can do."

The former captain highlighted the value of blooding new talent in a successful environment.

"It's so nice as a youngster to step into a team like this with a winning culture where you just go with the flow," he explained.

"You can feel when the pressure comes on how the older players handle it, what the talk is, so I think we're in a good space."

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