Just one month ago, South African rugby critics were already writing off Eben Etzebeth, the most capped player in Springboks history. They called for the veteran lock to hang up his boots and step into early retirement, with plenty of fuel for their skepticism: ahead of New Zealand’s historic, highly anticipated tour of South Africa this August, Etzebeth had played only a single match all year, with his 2024 season disrupted by an eye-gouge suspension, a nagging hip injury and a painful head knock. Doubts about his match fitness and form swirled across rugby circles.
Etzebeth’s 2024 campaign got off to a rocky start when he took the field for his second game of the year against a relentless Argentina side in hostile Buenos Aires on August 8. While the lock put in significant work on the pitch, he lacked his signature sharpness, but the match still served its purpose: it shook off the months of inactivity rust that had built up. Next came the first test against the All Blacks at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park, where Etzebeth started slow and never found his top form, turning in what many called an unremarkable performance as South Africa suffered a shocking 16-33 defeat.
That underwhelming outing only amplified calls for Etzebeth to be benched. But last weekend in Cape Town, for the second test against the world-famous All Blacks, Etzebeth showed the world why he has been a core of South African rugby for 14 years. Turning in a vintage performance that bore all the hallmarks of his best form, Etzebeth wreaked havoc on New Zealand’s lineout, disrupting three of the visitors’ attacking throw-ins and securing five clean catches of his own. He added 18 tackles to the tally, two of which were dominant defensive stops, forced a fumble from an All Blacks carrier, competed aggressively for a loose ball and got a finger to a pass that nearly resulted in an interception. By the final whistle, South Africa had claimed a thrilling 33-26 win, leveling the three-test series.
Veteran former Springbok lock Victor Matfield, who held the record for most Springbok test appearances before Etzebeth broke it earlier in 2024, sang Etzebeth’s praises on the *Rugby Rivals* podcast. “He was under immense pressure in South Africa – everyone was saying ‘He hasn’t played much, he’s not in good form’ – but he stood out when it mattered most,” Matfield said. “At the lineout he was incredible, his work rate was just unbelievable, and that’s the Eben Etzebeth we all know. For me, it meant so much that our most experienced player stepped up in a week with so much on the line.”
The deciding third test is set for this Saturday at Johannesburg’s iconic FNB Stadium, with the series trophy on the line.
Despite the patchy start to his 2024 season, Etzebeth has never questioned the strategy of Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus, whom he has supported fully since Erasmus took charge of the national side in 2018. Etzebeth served as South Africa’s captain in 2017, and willingly ceded the role to close friend Siya Kolisi – a friendship that dates back to their teenage years – without any resentment. Etzebeth credits Erasmus with rebuilding the Springboks’ winning culture, telling *The Verdict* podcast: “Being a Springbok became special again. We were willing to go to the dark places, put in the hard work necessary to get wins and results. In the past, it almost felt like just being selected as a Springbok was enough. Rassie brought back that belief, that hunger and that excitement for winning.”
That cultural shift has delivered major silverware, with back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles in 2019 and 2023 – achievements that Etzebeth was central to, starting in both final matches.
### Far from Retirement Plans
Far from planning to hang up his boots any time soon, the 34-year-old Etzebeth says his career is being extended by the Springboks’ famous “Bomb Squad” impact substitution strategy. Of his 144 test appearances to date, Etzebeth has started 133, though he comes off the bench more frequently than he did earlier in his career. The lock says he has no issue with the reduced minutes, noting that not being selected at all hurts far more than being called on to contribute off the bench. He says he wants to keep playing for as long as his body allows, and has not set a retirement date. He will turn 35 next month, and will turn 36 the day before a potential 2027 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal clash between South Africa and New Zealand in Sydney – a match he is already targeting.
“Every year the younger lads are bigger, better and faster than the cohort before them,” Etzebeth said. “They push me to keep improving, and that’s exactly how it should be.”
Etzebeth has spent his career breaking records: he became the youngest Springbok ever to hit 50 test caps at 24 in 2016, and the youngest to reach 100 caps at 30 in 2022. That 100th cap was intentionally scheduled for a Cape Town match so that his father Harry, who was battling cancer at the time, could attend the milestone match. On that historic day, Etzebeth’s then-fiancée Anlia performed the South African national anthem, and Etzebeth was named man of the match. Harry died the following year, while Etzebeth was in New Zealand with the team. The lock chose to stay and captain the side, saying it was what his father would have wanted.
Etzebeth was born into a family of professional wrestlers, a background that gave his family a reputation for toughness and grit. He did not find his place in rugby until age 15, when he experienced a dramatic growth spurt that added 20 centimeters in height and 20 kilograms in weight. He was moved from the wing to the lock position, and has grown into the 2.03-meter, 120-kilogram enforcer that opposes scrumhalves now fear. He made his Springbok debut at just 20 years old in 2012, filling the gap in the second row left by legends Matfield and Bakkies Botha. When the two veteran stars returned to the national side, they fit seamlessly around the rising young talent, who carried on the post-apartheid legacy of fearsome Springbok enforcers who wear the iconic No. 4 jersey, a line that includes Adri Geldenhuys, Kobus Wiese, Mark Andrews and Botha.
Matfield, who partnered Botha for a world-record 62 tests together in the second row, was on hand when Etzebeth broke his 127-appearance Springbok record earlier this year. He says he has long marveled at Etzebeth’s unique combination of relentless work rate and uncompromising on-pitch attitude.
“You always want that one guy that, when you run out onto the field, the opposition’s forward pack knows they don’t stand a chance going up against him,” Matfield said. “That’s what Eben has been giving our pack for the last 14 years.”