Eben Etzebeth has shown that he is not just a Test-track bully by powering the Sharks’ resurrection in European competitions, writes DYLAN JACK in SA Rugby magazine.
When the Sharks announced the signing of Eben Etzebeth in February last year, opinions were divided over how much on-field value the Springbok lock would add to his new side.
On the one hand, there was much excitement that the Sharks were bringing home one of South African rugby’s favourite players. Etzebeth would provide a big boost to their squad ahead of a challenging season in which South African teams would be fighting on multiple fronts in the United Rugby Championship, Champions Cup and Currie Cup.
On the other hand, there was a fair question over how much the Sharks would get out of Etzebeth, especially considering he was starting to pick up injuries and was sure to spend long spells away on national duty.
Etzebeth was enduring a difficult period in his stint at Toulon – who he joined in a big-money deal after the 2019 World Cup – which saw him criticised not only by the club’s president, but also former Springbok enforcer and Toulon cult hero Bakkies Botha.
MORE: Rugby Championship set for radical change?
Fast forward to the beginning of 2023 and very different noises are being made about Etzebeth’s club form.
A Man-of-the-Match performance in his Sharks debut against the Glasgow Warriors in October was merely a taste of what was to come. The Springbok centurion has proved to be a talismanic signing for the Durban-based side.
Since returning from the Springboks’ November tour, Etzebeth has been a giant on and off the field. This has been vital for the Sharks after a poor start to the season that saw Sean Everitt sacked and director of rugby Neil Powell take over the head coaching responsibilities.
“You can imagine how painful and disappointing is a 35-0 loss against Cardiff,’ Powell said in the wake of Everitt’s sacking. ‘We realised we weren’t good enough and there were consequences because of that, and that we’re all part of those consequences.
“Guys like Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth were great for us. Having those Boks back was really good to refocus us again and to make sure that we focus on the job at hand.”
MORE: Agent Eben lures Koch to Sharks
Etzebeth has been a key cog in the Sharks pack that has swept the floor with their opposition. He completed 80-minute shifts in all four starts in the Champions Cup, which is incredible when you consider he was coming off a year in which he played in all 13 Springbok Tests.
His impact is illustrated in the Sharks’ transformation from easy-beats to becoming the first South African team to secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions Cup.
“Our Springbok players have been brilliant; every single player,’ said Powell. ‘It’s always great to have those world-class players in your team. They understand the conditions and with their experience, how to handle all that pressure. That’s exactly what they did, especially in that away win against Bordeaux. It’s really tough to win away in the Champions Cup, but that win in the first round was really good. The Springboks have contributed massively to our success.”
Making his achievements at the Sharks even more impressive, was that there was a period where Etzebeth’s club value was heavily doubted.
Etzebeth had played in 13 of 15 Tests for the Springboks in 2021, winning a British & Irish Lions series in the process, and he also played a role in some memorable wins for Toulon.
However, upon returning to his club that year, he was stood down for three months due to a concussion he had picked up in a Test against England. When he was cleared to play in 2022, he picked up a calf injury.
Presumably frustrated by the unavailability of his prized asset, Toulon president Bernard Lemaitre released a bizarre statement questioning Etzebeth’s dedication to the club, labelling the second-rower as a ‘clear handicap’.
Adding to the saga, Lemaitre’s opinion was seemingly endorsed by Etzebeth’s former Bok mentor, Bakkies Botha, in an interview with high-profile French publication Midi Olympique.
“I regret that he only shows his best face with the Springboks,” said Botha. “In Toulon, he is still a little injured, concussed and in the end, never plays.
“Obviously, he was not made for France and he will turn his back on the problems the club went through to return to South Africa.
“It’s disappointing. I love Eben, I repeat. But you can’t say when you arrive in Toulon: ‘I want to be champion of France’ and leave some time later without having marked the club in one way or another.”
This clearly touched a nerve with Etzebeth. Not the most active player on social media, he took to Twitter to remind Botha of the Springbok ‘honour code’. Etzebeth would later open up on the incident in an interview with Jim Hamilton on RugbyPass, where he said his major frustration was that Botha made his comments in the media, instead of ringing him personally.
“We as players get quite a lot of grief from fans so when one of your own gives you some s**t, I was a bit angry, surprised and disappointed in the comments. I thought I’ll just put something out there,’ Etzebeth said. ‘It’s about respecting the jersey and the guys in the jersey. Quite a nice thing to have.
“When I retire one day I won’t go around saying things about fellow Boks, so that’s why I was taken off-guard by the comments.”
MORE: Sharks lose Du Toit to Bath
Thankfully, the two were able to bury the hatchet when Botha phoned Etzebeth and explained that his comments were taken out of context.
Since then, the headlines around Etzebeth have been really positive. He left Toulon on a good note, having helped the club into the final of the 2021-22 Challenge Cup.
Etzebeth’s arrival in Durban has coincided with the Sharks turning around their season and climbing the log after a difficult start to the URC.
His contributions at the Sharks were recognised when he earned the SA Rugby Player of the Year for 2022. He was also nominated for the prestigious EPCR Player of the Year award for 2023, alongside Sharks teammates Siya Kolisi, Jaden Hendrikse and Makazole Mapimpi.
“There’s a reason why he is known as one of the best locks in the world,” said Powell. “He brings unbelievable effort. He has very high standards, not just in terms of how he plays, but also in training. It was great to have him during the first part of our campaign. He definitely contributed massively to the success we had since he joined us after the November Tests. I would have loved to have him for more games, but that’s part of the Springboks’ plan going into the World Cup.”
That Etzebeth is enjoying the systems at the Sharks under Powell is clear.
“It’s nice to be back in South Africa and playing with a bunch of individuals who are such great players in a great team,” Etzebeth said. “And also Neil taking over [at the Sharks], he is a phenomenal person and a great coach, so it’s nice to be part of a system like that.
“The support staff at the Sharks are incredible, so I must say that I am enjoying my life and my rugby.”
– This article first appeared in the March 2023 issue of SA Rugby magazine. The April 2023 issue is on sale now.
Photo: Steve Haag/INPHO/Shutterstock/BackpagePix