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Rassie Erasmus leaves door open for stunning Eben Etzebeth return
By Finn Morton
Head coach Rassie Erasmus has revealed that Eben Etzebeth is still a chance of playing against the All Blacks this weekend despite not being named in the team’s matchday squad for the clash at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park.
Etzebeth was initially left out of South Africa’s team after suffering a knee injury. The Springboks have a policy that if a player can’t train on Monday then they won’t be made available for the weekend, but there’s an exception to every rule.
The 32-year-old from Cape Town has started the last 22 Test matches between the Springboks and All Blacks and that incredible feat could yet extend further by one match if the star lock is able to “miraculously recover.”
Etzebeth was initially set to miss training on Monday, which is why the Springboks overlooked the two-time Rugby World Cup winner for this weekend’s team, but he ended up training anyway. It’ll all depend on how Etzebeth got through training on Tuesday.
“We announced the team last night with Eben out because if you don’t train on the Monday after the team is announced internally, you don’t play on Saturday,” Erasmus told reporters.
“Eben did the whole training session on Monday and we need to see how Tuesday’s one goes, from where I’ll have a chat with all the players to see if we’ll make a change.
“He may miraculously recover, and the doctor said there was some science behind that and not just the will to play for the big occasion like the All Blacks.
“If that’s the case, we’ll be happy, but it will be very unlucky in terms of Elrigh (Louw), Marco (van Staden) or Kwagga (Smith) in terms of being left out.
“We’ll think clearly, see how Pieter-Steph moves, from where we’ll make the call.”
Assistant coach Deon Davids told the media at a press conference on Monday that Etzebeth was under an injury cloud for the Test. Etzebeth joined a worryingly long list of second rowers who had either been ruled out or were in doubt for the highly anticipated clash.
RG Snyman was another lock who had been deemed unavailable. The hulking loc was a last-minute withdrawal from the team to play the Wallabies in Brisbane earlier this month, but after bouncing back to face the same for a week later, Snyman is out once again.
The Boks have been hit by a genuine second-row crisis which is a genuine concern this week. Salmaan Moerat, Lood de Jager, Franco Mostert and Jean Kleyn are among the other second rowers who won’t take the field at the world-famous Ellis Park.
“It’s a meniscus but not a trauma one, but one that came from a scrum,” Erasmus explained about Etzebeth. “It came about from him changing feet during a scrum session and it wasn’t a case of a teammate running into him to a point where there’s a tear and everything is in pieces.
“It was a live scrum and Eben took a lot of weight on one side and twisted his knee. Hopefully, the mechanics aren’t that bad with big trauma.”
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Latest Comments
Well I didnt see Aus bossing the Wales team around in the forwards let alone SA or Arg. Ill bet NZ dominates the scrums.
Go to commentsOkay, fair points in here. Agree Razor isn't transparent. How quickly the climate changes from one regime to another. I'm sorry but when I refer to "human values" I'm alluding to Razor prancing around like a peacock at the 2023 RWC, knowing he had had the job but going there to smirk while Fozz went about his business. What need was there of that when Razor had already got the nod?
Besides, that's why caring employers don't put their employees through that spin-dry cycle following redundancy, although Fozz would have relished the opportunity to ride the waves to redemption. He had come within a whisker. I'm guessing Fozz's contract wouldn't have allowed him to terminate employment, glory of RWC aside. Now, I'm not saying fora second that Fozz was a fine head coach because he had erred like Razor is with selections across the board.
The captaincy debacle is just that, so agree with that. More significantly for me, Barrett has the unenviable record of collecting two red cards in test rugger — the most anyone has. His 2nd test against the Boks was questionable, considering the lock hadn't carried the ball until after the 60th minute. In both Boks affairs, he was hardly visible as a leader.
DMac is a Hobson's choice. You can have a "unique" kicking game but if the others are not on the same page, is it worth anything? Player, selection, and/or head coaching issue? For me it's all 3. I've not religiously watched Super Rugby Pacific matches but I did see how the Fijian Drua had homed in on DMac at The Tron. He was rattled and even started complaining to the ref. That's where we part ways with "aggression". All pooches are ferocious behind their owner's fenced property. DMac enjoys that when he has the comfort of protection from the engine room. The pooch is only tested when it wanders outside the confines of the yard on to the street to face other mongrels. Boks were going to be the litmus test, although no home fan saw the Pumas coming. At best, a bench-minutes player.
Leon MacDonald. Well, besides debating the merits of his prowess as "attacking guru", it doesn't override one simple fact — Razor chose his stable of support coaches. Its starts and ends there. If MacD didn't slot into the equation, Razor is accountable.
Why appoint a specialist when you're not going to listen to him, especially if you have an engine-room background? Having fired him, Razor looks even more clueless now than ever with his backline, never mind attacking. Which raises the pertinent question? Which of his other favoured coaches have assumed the mantle of backline/attacking coach? (Hansen/Ellison?) If so, why is Razor not dangling them over burning coals?
"His [MacD's] way might be great for some team, maybe in another country, and with the right people." Intriguing because he has led his team in his own country's premier competition to victory against a number of franchise players who are in the ABs squad that had failed to make the cut after a rash of losses and Razor's "home". You see, it's such anomalies that make the prudent question the process. All it does is make Razor look just like another member of the old boys' network. Appreciate the engagement.
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