Blue Bulls star Victor Matfield will captain the Springboks in Saturday's one-off Test against Italy at Newlands.

Matfield's appointment comes in the enforced absence of fellow RWC winner John Smit — who has returned to France to complete his obligations with club Clermont Auvergne in the Top 14 play-offs — and was confirmed by Bok coach Peter de Villiers on Monday.

De Villiers also revealed that Matfield would — for the rest of the year — act as Smit's official stand-in captain.

The Bok coach said that Matfield had "selected himself", because of the leadership role he plays in the team.

"I didn't decide [on the captaincy], he [Matfield] earned it," De Villiers said.

The Bok coach made it clear that the 31-year-old lock forward, who captained South Africa three times last year, remained in a league of his own when it came to analysing the game.

"I think that his ability to read the game and work with people is exactly what we want," he said, adding that "I had no choice and simply had to take him if I wanted to do the right thing for rugby".

De Villiers also revealed that Matfield, as captain for this week, would have a major input in the selection of the team to face Italy.

"I must first discuss it [team selection] with Victor," said De Villiers. "After I have discussed it with him I will go to the selectors and assistant coaches.

"He is the man who leads the team and he should be comfortable with the people around him... that's one of the privileges of being the captain."

An obviously delighted Matfield said it was a "tremendous honour" to captain his country.

"I'm grateful to Peter for the opportunity," said the Bulls lock. "It wasn't something I thought about or expected, but I'm very happy to take on the responsibility in John's absence."

Matfield — who is just three Tests away from Mark Andrews's record of 72 internationals as South Africa's most capped second row forward — made his international debut against Italy in Port Elizabeth in June 2001.

He first captained the Boks in a Tri-Nations Test against New Zealand in Durban in June last year, before an injury sidelined him.

With Smit still sidelined by the hamstring injury he sustained earlier in 2007, Matfield then came back to lead the Boks in World Cup warm-up matches against Namibia (at Newlands) and Scotland (at Murrayfield).

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