Etzebeth claimed the Player of the Match award in South Africa’s Autumn Nations Series 15-23 win over Scotland.
His towering presence, relentless work rate, and sheer physicality were instrumental in the Springboks’ control of the game, as Etzebeth dominated both in open play and at the set piece.
Etzebeth, when asked about his feelings after a perfect start to the Autumn Nations Series and a return to world number one, said: “Thank you so much to all the South Africans that were here [in Edinburgh] tonight. It was a tough Test match, we knew it was going to be tough; Scotland are always tough to play against. They really gave us some issues in that first half [...] it was much closer than the scoreline says”
South Africa lost Makazole Mapimpi to a yellow card in the second half, and captain Etzebeth praised his team for sticking together and keeping Scotland scoreless in that period of numerical disadvantage. “We just needed to stick together,” said the 33-year-old. “Scotland were also down to 14 players for 20 minutes and they did the same thing. It was a great performance from the guys and a good, tough first game to start with”
Etzebeth was central to South Africa’s forward dominance, excelling in both defensive and offensive aspects of the game during his 80-minute performance. He topped the carry stats for the Springboks with 12 (one fewer than Scotland centre and captain Sione Tuipulotu, who led the overall chart), carried for over 65 metres, and beat two defenders, as well as registering two offloads.
Known for his bone-crunching defence, Etzebeth came second in the Springboks’ successful tackles leaderboard, making only one fewer than centre Andre Estheruizen.
“Credit to Jerry [Flannery, former Ireland hooker and Springboks assistant coach], we have put a lot of detail and effort into our defence and we try to keep teams out. It was awesome from the guys,” continued Etzebeth. This was the second consecutive Test against South Africa in which the Scots have failed to score a try.
While the world marvels at the Springbok ‘bomb squad’, Etezebeth was the only forward to play 80 minutes during the match, with the entire pack replaced around him, showing his value and importance within the side.
A record-breaking career
This performance was a reminder of Etzebeth's illustrious career. Now over a decade into his international journey, he has amassed 129 caps for the Springboks and become the most capped Springbok player of all time since his debut in 2012, captaining them on 15 occasions (usually in place of the totemic Siya Kolisi).
Known for his workrate and enforcer-like nature, he has been a mainstay in the team through three Rugby World Cups, helping South Africa claim their third title in 2019 and then a historic fourth in 2023.
His experience, then, is unmatched in South Africa’s pack. His leadership qualities have grown over the years, with the lock frequently stepping in as a tactical leader, especially during tense moments when a calm head and clear decisions are required.
At 6’8” and weighing around 120 kg, Etzebeth uses every bit of his imposing frame to advantage.
The Springboks will be back in action next weekend (Saturday 16th November, 17:40 GMT) when they head to the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, to face Steve Borthwick’s England. The Red Rose will be desperate for a win following their last-minute defeat to Australia on Saturday, meaning this will be a clash to savour.
Catch every blockbuster fixture of the 2024 Autumn Nations Series. Live on TNT Sports.
