All eyes will be on the Boks this weekend as they run out at the Mbombela stadium to beat Argentina and lift the Rugby Championship trophy.
One player will probably get even more attention than the trophy and all the other players combined, and that is of course Eben Etzebeth who is on the verge of becoming the most capped Springbok of all time!
Rugby Championship
(all times GMT+2)
SATURDAY
🇳🇿 New Zealand vs Australia 🇦🇺
09:05
🇿🇦 South Africa vs Argentina 🇦🇷
17:00
Every sport has them, every fan adores them, and every player wants to be them. They are the true living legends of the game. That is quite simply what Eben Etzebeth is, and he should be celebrated as that.
Born: 29 October 1991
Height: 2.04m
Weight: 117kgs
Position: Lock
Teams:
2012 - 2014 - Western Province (7 caps)
2012 - 2019 - Stormers (61 caps)
2015 - 2016 - NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes (8 caps)
2019 - 2022 - Toulon (40 caps)
2022 - present - Sharks (22 caps)
Springboks:
Debut vs England in 2012
50th test vs Australia in 2016
100th test vs Wales in 2022
Most capped Springboks of all time:
1: Eben Etzebeth 127
-: Victor Matfield 127
3: Bryan Habana 124
4: Tendai Mtawarira 117
5: John Smit 111
6: Jean de Villiers 109
7: Percy Montgomery 102
Over the years the Springboks have had incredible players across all positions, and have also had without doubt the most inspirational and iconic captain of all time in Siya Kolisi. In Etzebeth though, there has never been a player that has added more value to the green and gold than him.
Around great milestones like the one we will celebrate this weekend, it’s easy to fall into a state of hyperbole. It’s absolutely warranted here though, as this guy has just been that good. He is the epitome of all you want out of someone in a contact sport. Committed, competitive, fearless, combative and enduring.
When you consider just how much he gives physically, and has done for more than a decade, it’s simply astonishing for someone in his position to have played so many games. In his 128th this weekend, he is still very much at his best still, which is all the more reason to celebrate this milestone.
The Boks have gone through a lot since 2012. The highs of the World Cup wins, to the lows of defeats to Italy and Japan, and the back to back 50 point thrashings from the All Blacks. Eben has been there all the way through, and has always been the one to pick this team up or take them to new heights.
Many have made their debuts around him, and his presence and example have allowed them to become the great players they are today at international level. It’s fair to assume that in every pre test team huddle, every player felt just that little more confident knowing they are going into battle with this guy on their team.
Something that no doubt even UFC champion Dricus Du Plessis can agree with as he chose Eben to walk out with him for his recent title defence in Australia!
When Victor Matfield retired at 127 test caps, it was hard to think that anyone could ever reach that mark for the Springboks. Not only has Etzebeth done that, but at the age of 32 and within a team structure that knows how to get the best out of him, there is no telling what that final number will be.
Just like he has eclipsed the Matfield mark, it’s plausible to think that someone may eclipse Etzebeth too one day. This will require many many things though, chief among them being accomplished enough at a very young age to get selected for the Boks.
Time will tell if this will happen, but right now let’s celebrate this true one of a kind player, and all that he has given to the Springboks. It will be a special moment for the big lock this Saturday, and hopefully there are still many more to come for him.
