The impressive stat that puts Eben Etzebeth on the verge of history

‘First name on the team sheet’ is an often-used phrase in rugby, but it applies better than most in the case of Eben Etzebeth. The formidable lock has barely missed a beat in his pursuit of Victor Matfield's all-time Springboks record of 127 caps.

Our research reveals that the 2.03-metre tall, 117kg colossus has missed just 19 Tests throughout his entire 12-year Springboks career and is now just one match away from equalling Matfield’s milestone, which has stood for nearly a decade.

Since making his debut in a 22-17 win against England in June 2012, Etzebeth has been one of the rocks that the Springbok team has been built around, even more so than his predecessor at lock. Whereas Matfield’s 127 caps spanned 182 Tests (70 per cent), Etzebeth will match the magical number in just 146 (86 per cent) if he takes to the field at Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades in Argentina this Saturday.

Etzebeth missed four of South Africa’s 12 matches last year but has been in every matchday squad this time around, albeit it was touch and go that he would be fit for the Emirates Airline Park clash with New Zealand at the end of August because of a foot injury.

The Cape Town-born colossus pulled through, as he always does, abating a lock crisis to take his place on the bench, something he has only done on eight occasions.

Despite turning 33 next month, Etzebeth’s powers are showing no sign of diminishing – he was the only Rugby World Cup-winning  Springbok to make World Rugby’s 2023 dream team – and the general consensus on this week’s episode of Boks Office was that 150 caps is within his enormous reach.

That would put him within touching distance of All Black Sam Whitelock, who retired on 152, but catching Alun Wyn Jones' 158 caps for Wales will take some doing. At his current strike rate, Etzebeth would have to make it to RWC 2027 to be a contender for the title of most-capped player of any one country.

“He will easily get to 150,” opined presenter Hanyani Shimange, the former Springboks hooker. Jean de Villiers added: “I also think so and it will be fantastic that he will go past the record in South Africa, probably in that Nelspruit Test match (against Argentina in round six of The Rugby Championship. It will be great recognition for what he has achieved.”

Etzebeth’s enduring quality over a very long period of time is the thing that de Villiers thinks sets him apart from lesser mortals, especially given the demands placed on his body in the Springbok engine room. “He made his debut for the Boks in 2012 and 12 years later he is on the verge of playing 127 Test matches.

"He is averaging more than 10 Test matches a year; that is an impressive strike rate. The fact that he plays such a combative game, so physical, makes it even more impressive.”

Keen to stress Etzebeth’s importance to the team, Shimange chipped in. “Eben shows up every week. I can’t think of a game where he hasn’t shown up.”

• RugbyPass TV's Boks Office is a weekly show focusing on all the main talking points in rugby from the southern hemisphere and beyond, with a new episode available to watch every Tuesday