Eben Etzebeth relishing ‘opportunity’ against Ireland as Springboks look to end Dublin drought
Springboks lock Eben Etzebeth looks forward to Ireland clash.
Springboks second-row Eben Etzebeth insists their upcoming Autumn Nations Series showdown with Ireland is a “nice opportunity” to end their poor run of form in Dublin.
South Africa have not secured a victory at the Aviva Stadium since 2012 after losing the last three times at the venue, falling 29-15 in 2014, 38-3 in 2017 and 19-16 in 2022.
But they arrive in Ireland full of confidence after a fine 2025 season that has seen them defend the Rugby Championship title and enjoy an impressive November to date.
Exciting challenge
Etzebeth, who made his 139th international appearance against France a couple of weeks ago, is “excited” by the challenge as they strive to build on recent tour showings.
“They have been in the top three of the world rankings for the last couple of years, so they are a quality outfit and we are looking forward to this game,” he said of Ireland.
“When we received the calendar at the beginning of the year, this fixture was definitely one that stood out, so we’re excited. It’s going to be a good match.
“We haven’t won here in a while, so it’s a nice opportunity for us.”
Touching on their most recent loss at the Aviva Stadium, that 19-16 defeat of 2022, Etzebeth refused to admit it would be a motivating factor for the in-form South Africans.
“This is a completely different challenge,” he explained. “A lot can happen in rugby in one week, and many things have changed since then.”
There is also the subplot of the Springboks having some Irish voices in their camp, notably assistant coaches Felix Jones and Jerry Flannery, while Jean Kleyn and RG Snyman play their club rugby in Ireland.
However, Etzebeth insisted it won’t give the Boks a leg-up on their opposition as he expects Andy Farrell’s men to make the necessary tweaks to ensure insider knowledge isn’t an issue.
Irish insight
“We have quite a few foreigners in our management group, but we don’t see them as such – we see them as part of the Springboks, and we get along very well with all of them,” he said.
“And obviously, guys like RG and Jean have more insight into the Irish, but it’s professional rugby, and Ireland will be smart and probably change a few things.”
After facing Ireland in Dublin, Rassie Erasmus’ men will travel to Cardiff to take on Wales on Saturday, November 29.
