Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth is on the cover of the new SA Rugby magazine, on sale this week!
Etzebeth couldn’t stop smiling after being named in the Bok XV for their Rugby Championship opener in Durban.
When asked by a journalist whether his lack of game time – he hadn’t played at all in eight months – would count against him, the lock said the world would see on Saturday whether he was ready or not. And they did. Etzebeth played the full 80 minutes, making more runs than any other player, putting in several big hits and doing his job at the set piece. The Bok enforcer was back.
In this issue of SA Rugby magazine, Etzebeth talks candidly about the ‘lonely times’ he endured during a lengthy rehabilitation process that saw him miss the Stormers’ entire Super Rugby campaign and the Test series against England in June. Having recovered fully, he wants to help the Boks regain their reputation and firmly believes they can win the World Cup in Japan next year.
Also in the new issue:
– How Springbok fullback Willie le Roux rediscovered his mojo
– Swys de Bruin on his coaching career, the Lions’ journey from Super Rugby relegation to three successive finals, and working with the Springboks
– The decision to manage Damian Willemse carefully in the short term will benefit the player and the Springboks in future
– Marco van Staden took an unconventional route to the top
– Beauden Barrett silenced his doubters with one of the great flyhalf performances
– The Currie Cup may never regain its prestige in a professional rugby landscape
– A new title sponsor and private-ownership deal have given the Kings reason to smile
– Grey College are once again South Africa’s No 1-ranked rugby school
– Sean Erasmus on SA Schools’ recent campaign, finishing his five-year stint with Paarl Boys’ High on a winning note, and joining the Lions
– French rugby was rocked by the death of Aurillac centre Louis Fajfrowski
PLUS: Q&A with Namibia coach | Who knows Lions wing Courtnall Skosan better, wife Semone or teammate Howard Mnisi? | Inside the mind of Adriaan Strauss | Future Star | Club Star | Tiaan Liebenberg’s Perfect XV
