The Springboks prediction Bryan Habana has made about Eben Etzebeth

Legendary Springboks winger Bryan Habana has made a record-breaking prediction about the Test-level career of Eben Etzebeth, his fellow South African. It was Tuesday when Rassie Erasmus unveiled a much-rotated Rugby Championship XV, making 10 changes for this Saturday’s second-round encounter with Australia in Perth.

Among the alterations was naming Etzebeth, a second row starter last Saturday in his country’s 33-7 win over the Wallabies in Brisbane, on the bench as part of a reconfigured bomb squad with just five forwards and not the now-traditional six.

Despite only being selected as a replacement, the upcoming match at Optus Stadium will be a milestone occasion for Etzebeth, the 32-year-old first capped by the Springboks in 2012.

Etzebeth’s likely run off the bench will be his 124th cap for his country, drawing him level with Habana as South Africa’s second-most-capped player of all time, just three appearances behind the record holder Victor Matfield, who played 127 times.

After spotting a message on X highlighting that Etzebeth will equal Habana’s 124 caps tally, the retired 41-year-old, who last played for South Africa in 2016, commented: “And he will go on to be the 1st Bok to 150 Tests as well…”

If Etzebeth does make good Habana’s 150 prediction, it would make him the third most capped Test rugby player of all time, trailing only the 170-capped Alun Wyn Jones of Wales and the British and Irish Lions and Sam Whitelock, who called it quits after 153 appearances for the All Blacks.