Eben Etzebeth names 'biggest life achievement', issues Boks warning

Springboks talisman Eben Etzebeth has named the biggest achievement of his life and issued a warning to his country’s rivals ahead of their upcoming 2024 Test schedule.

The 32-year-old is currently in London preparing for the Sharks’ EPCR Challenge Cup semi-final versus Clermont at the Twickenham Stoop this Saturday.

Away from training, he dropped by The Rugby Pod studio with club and country teammate Vincent Koch to chat with presenter Jim Hamilton, the former Scotland international, and guest presenter Dan Biggar, Etzebeth’s teammate at Toulon last season before the South African forward moved home ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Etzebeth joined the Sharks knowing that he and his wife were poised to start a new family and the second row has described their baby’s arrival as the thing ever.

Asked by Hamilton for a life update since the Springboks defeated the All Blacks six months ago in the final in Paris, Eztebeth said: “It’s been great. After the World Cup, we had about two weeks to take everything in and then we started at the Sharks again, so there wasn’t much downtime.

“Watching Chasing the Sun, most of those memories come back to you and jeez, all the stress of those last three games winning by one point, it was incredible reliving that again. But no, otherwise good. Life is good in Durban. Winter is approaching in South Africa but it’s never winter in Durban. Always great weather.

“Little one is now three months old. Great to be a dad. Probably my biggest achievement of my life. Yes, hardest as well. All the dads always tell me you can’t explain that feeling until you hold the little one in your hands the first time… Awesome.”

Switching to rugby, Biggar asked Etzebeth what his motivation is moving forward now that he is a back-to-back World Cup winner with South Africa. Eztebeth's response was the attraction of a full Test calendar in 2024 unlike in 2020 when their first year as world champions was significantly curtailed due to the pandemic.

“After 2019 we didn’t really get a chance to play on home soil. We didn’t play any Test matches in 2020 because of covid so now it’s the first year after the World Cup we can go back and play six Test matches in front of home fans and they are very excited,” he enthused.

South Africa's home schedule in 2024 includes a two-Test series versus Ireland in July in Pretoria and Durban followed by two late August/early September home matches against New Zealand in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

“Big drive for us will be to take the World Cup success into (2024) because to be honest between World Cups we haven’t won all the Test matches, we haven’t been as successful as we want to be so I think we would like to change that and be successful in this year’s Test matches.

“There are obviously some massive ones coming up so it’s going to be a massive challenge for us.

"For me personally just putting on that Springboks jersey, playing for your country is the biggest honour you can have, and even after winning two World Cups just to get another Test match under my belt that is my motivation, that is what drives me.”

• Click the arrow below to listen to Eben Etzebeth on this week's Rugby Pod

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