Eben Etzebeth is the Springboks’ landmark man
Etzebeth has been playing for the Springboks for no fewer than 12 years, and has made 127 appearances in green and gold thus far.
Eben Etzebeth is a man who by nature stands head and shoulders above most people, but come Saturday, September 28, he will stand clear of every Springbok as he will have become the most-capped Springbok player of all time.
The current record holder is none other than the legendary Springbok lock and captain, Victor Matfield, who throughout his 13-year career amassed 127 caps in the Springbok jersey. Etzebeth drew level with Matfield’s record last weekend when he came off the bench against Argentina.
He made his Springbok debut on June 9, 2012, at only 20 years old. Ever since, Etzebeth has made the number four jersey his own, showcasing his brilliance whenever he strode out onto the pitch. It took five years of Springbok rugby before Etzebeth was substituted off the field for the first time.
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He became the 59th Springbok captain when he captained the side for the first time on June 24, 2017, in a 35-12 win over France at Emirates Airline Park. Etzebeth has since captained the Springboks a total of 12 times, the 11th most of all time.
Eben Etzebeth is a name that strikes fear into the hearts of any opponent, but to his peers he is more of a gentle giant and they have many, many fond memories of him.
“A lot of people who don’t know Eben think he is always the serious guy, but he’s actually one of the jokers in the team and always boosts the mood when things are too tense,” said Bongi Mbonambi, who has played alongside Etzebeth on more occasions than most.
“The biggest thing I’ve learnt from him is having a balance between the two [rugby and personal life]. It’s not always just rugby, rugby or just family, family. I think Eben is a guy who has found the right balance between those two, and it really stands out to the kind of man, the kind of character he is.”
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Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has also walked a long road with Etzebeth. “Eben was one of the first four guys I signed onto Western Province when I joined the union,” he said. This was a group that included the likes of Siya Kolisi and Steven Kitshoff.
“I’ll never forget, he didn’t have an agent at the time, and you got a certain amount of money as a junior player and a certain amount as a Super Rugby player, and he immediately wanted to know what the Super Rugby players earn. That was when I knew his head was in the right place.
“Eben is a very competitive guy, he hates losing, he doesn’t like it when the team isn’t in the right mindset, he doesn’t like it when people think we aren’t trying our hardest. We want to pay it back to him on Saturday.”
When Etzebeth runs out onto the field at the start of the game, he will earn his 128th Springbok cap, officially making him the most-capped Springbok of all time.
