Ex-Springboks coach hails ‘clever killer’ Eben Etzebeth ahead of milestone match
Springboks second-row Eben Etzebeth and former Boks assistant coach Swys de Bruin.
Former Springboks assistant coach Swys de Bruin has paid tribute to Eben Etzebeth ahead of the second-row’s milestone match against Argentina in Nelspruit on Saturday.
Etzebeth is a Springboks legend having won back-to-back Rugby World Cups and is set to become South Africa’s most capped Test player when he takes to the field in the highly anticipated Rugby Championship decider against Los Pumas.
The 32-year-old has currently won 127 Test caps and will overtake the record held by another legendary Springboks lock, Victor Matfield, who set the mark over two stints, the second of which saw him packing down alongside Etzebeth during the Sharks second-row’s early stages of his international career.
Fitting reward for Etzebeth
And De Bruin, who was the Boks’ attack coach during 2018 and 2019, and who currently coaches South Africa’s women’s team, believes the accolade of becoming his country’s most capped Test player is a fitting reward for Etzebeth.
“You know what people don’t know out there, guys? When Siya (Kolisi) was appointed (Springboks) captain, 2018, those days, his biggest supporter, and to get the guys rallying for Siya, was Eben,” he told the Behind the Ruck podcast.
“He said: ‘We back you with everything you have, you are a man’. And that, for me, he deserves what happened to him further on.”
Over the years, Etzebeth has earned a reputation as one the game’s best enforcers and is renowned for his dominance in the forward exchanges.
While De Bruin acknowledges those attributes, he pointed out that there’s other aspects of Etzebeth’s game which are just so important.
“He’s so, so clever for a physical beast. You know, he’s an enforcer, he’s a fridge, he’s a killer, but he’s a clever killer,” he said.
“He’s streetwise, he understands the game, and he knows if there’s a weak spot in their pack to exploit it. He will sort a guy out very quickly. He’s really one of the top players that ever went through our system.
“Look, Frik de Preez is still my… You guys don’t know who’s Frik de Preez (legendary Boks lock from the 1960s and ’70s). I’ve played golf with him once.
“I’ve played with him once. But to mention Eben with those names, it shows. We can be so proud of him.”
De Bruin also praised Etzebeth’s work ethic and said during his stint as part of the Boks’ backroom staff he was fascinated by an aspect of the behemoth lock’s game which set him apart from most rugby players.
“Another interesting thing, watching training sessions, and I would love to go there always where the engine room is and they train, and there will be two packs training, and Eben will be so physical, even at practice,” said the 64-year-old.
‘He’s a real good trainer’
“He trains like a machine. He’s a real, real good trainer, and he takes it to the field. So he’s a very good role model and example to young forwards coming up.
“He’s very good with that.”
Despite being involved at the coalface of the Boks’ forward effort for more than a decade, another aspect of Etzebeth’s game which De Bruin highlighted is his impressive disciplinary record as he has never been sent off at Test level and received few yellow cards.
“Initially, he battled a bit with it, but he matured,” he added. “He’s a clever, astute, tough, hard player. Very, very good.”
