Etzebeth’s making giant strides
8 Jun 2012
GAVIN RICH, writing in SA Rugby magazine, looks back at Eben Etzebeth’s rapid transformation from average schoolboy centre to Stormers’ second-row star.
The day after the news of Rassie Erasmus’s resignation as Western Province senior professional coach broke, a gaggle of Cape journalists were gathered on the touchline of the Hermanus Primary School rugby field, watching the Stormers sweat in the mid-January heat.
It says something for Eben Etzebeth’s physique that he was able to deflect the conversation away from the Erasmus saga.
‘Hey, who the hell is that monster? That one over there, the one who looks like a superhero?’ asked one hack.
It didn’t require more than a second glance to recognise the big fellow as one of the stars of the UCT Varsity Cup triumph from the previous year. But, perhaps because Etzebeth was wearing a vest, or maybe because injury had prevented him from playing more than a bit part in the WP U21 campaign in 2011, it did look at that first sighting of 2012 as though he had bulked up considerably.
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‘Superhero would be a good description of him; he does have an amazingly proportioned physique,’ agrees WP U21 coach John Dobson. ‘In fact, his biceps are something of a talking point around him. They’re massive and when we have fines meetings we make him show them off as a party trick. He is just ridiculously strong.’
Indeed, and a few days later he was reminding us that he could play a bit too.
His first game for the Stormers was the pre-season friendly against Boland in Wellington, and the force with which he hit the rucks bolstered the impression that the Stormers had indeed uncovered a superhero.
Among the memorable early Etzebeth moments was when he drove a Lions player back several metres in the pre-season game at Newlands, something which by the time Super Rugby had arrived was becoming a regular occurrence. Few young locks have smashed their way as emphatically into the frame in their first season as Etzebeth has.
‘It was incredible to watch Eben make his debut for the Stormers; he had absolutely no trouble making the step up and it was as if he had been there for years,’ says Steph Nel, who was responsible for guiding Etzebeth through his year at the WP Rugby Institute in 2010. ‘It was a huge debut and he was such a presence on the field that it was hard to believe he had undergone an almost overnight transformation from age-group player to Super Rugby star.’
It is fairly well known that Etzebeth is a member of the Etzebeth clan that became part of WP rugby folklore in a previous era. Eben’s uncles Cliffie and Skattie were responsible for terrorising many an opposing player and there is seldom a rugby gathering in the Cape where at least one story about the exploits of the legendary tough men is not told.
But growing up in Goodwood and attending one of the less fashionable schools had its drawbacks, and had it not been for former Springbok lock Hennie Bekker spotting Etzebeth’s giant form while helping out at a training session at Tygerberg High in 2008, the Stormers would not now be benefiting from Etzebeth’s thunderous contributions.
‘I was preparing to coach the Tygerberg 1st XV when I saw this massive bloke running on the other field with the B or C team,’ recalls Bekker, who is in charge of WP’s youth development and the general manager at their School of Excellence. ’I was told he was one of the Etzebeths. I was immediately interested, particularly because he was such a massive physical specimen. But he was playing centre, and had also played wing. He was just messing around in the backline. He didn’t appear to be taking his rugby particularly seriously. He seemed to enjoy the game without having any expectation.
‘I called him over and we had a chat. I invited him to attend my WP elite squad training sessions. He was in Grade 11 at the time. I told him he had to make a pact with me that he would work really hard, otherwise he would just be wasting my time. I also told him he would have to switch to lock and that would be the only position he would play from then on.’
Etzebeth made the promise and Bekker reckons he more than delivered on it.
‘I was immediately impressed with his dedication. He seemed determined to make something out of the opportunity he was being offered. There was no doubt from the outset that he had immense raw promise,’ recalls Bekker. ‘He had all the attributes for a lock in terms of strength, but he was also very skilful, probably because he started out playing in the backs. For a big guy he was surprisingly athletic. Most importantly, there was a hardness that I liked.’
Given the reputation built up by his uncles in their years playing club rugby in the province, it would be understandable if there was an expectation that the young Etzebeth would be a chip off the old block. Jacques Hanekom, chief executive of the WP Rugby Institute, has detected that there is a tendency for people to assume that Etzebeth will be a wild man.
‘People expect him to be a loose cannon but that is not the case at all. When he was at the institute we had no problems with him on or off the field,’ says Hanekom. ‘In actual fact he’s quite calculated on the field. He thinks about what he is doing; he has the right mixture of calculation and aggression. I don’t foresee him becoming like Bakkies Botha in terms of running into disciplinary problems later on in his career.
‘When he was with us he was a reserved kid, you could almost say he was quite shy, but he was extremely focused and dedicated. When a kid comes to us he has to tick certain boxes related to performance and attitude on and off the field. Eben ticked them all. We knew we were working with the full Monty.’
Bekker concurs with Hanekom’s view, saying that he is sure Etzebeth will be one of those who keeps his feet on the ground regardless of how quickly he progresses through the ranks.
‘In his matric year he played for WP Schools. That was 2009, just one year after he was moved to lock. But through that he remained very level-headed, and he knows his progress has been down to sheer hard work. When he was injured last year he worked hard on bulking up, and this year we are seeing the results.’
One of his uncles, Allie, remembers Eben as a sports-mad kid who through his years at Goodwood Park Primary School and later at Tygerberg always seemed to have a ball in his hand and was constantly playing or practising sport.
‘He was a good athlete, excelling in the 100m and 200m, but rugby was always a big passion in the family after what Cliffie and Skattie achieved as players,’ says Allie.
‘He was really fast for a big guy, and that was why he played centre and wing for most of his school career. He was one heck of a difficult guy to stop when he had the ball in his hand. He was always such a pleasant kid too, and he has a real soft heart. The Bulls and the Sharks were keen to get him to sign with them. They made good offers, but Eben decided he wanted to stay in Cape Town and look after his mom.’
When Etzebeth attended the WP Rugby Institute he was part of what Nel called the institution’s master class.
‘I remember saying once before that Francois Hougaard was the cream of what we produced in terms of natural attributes and professional attitude. But in 2010 we had several players who were all in the same category as Hougaard,’ says Nel.
‘Eben, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe, Nizaam Carr, Scarra Ntubeni … we had a phenomenal pack of forwards and they all have something special about them. Eben still had to mature but he had fantastic results in all the tests we conducted on him. The only problem I can recall is that he was just so damn big that it was impossible for the other guys to pick him up in the lineouts.’
Funnily enough, Etzebeth’s size has been responsible for the one small headache that his elevation to Super Rugby has caused for Stormers forward coach Matt Proudfoot.
‘I’ve had to work with Eben on a few things at scrum time as it is never easy to get a guy who stands over 2m tall to fit easily into a scrum unit. He has a lot of body that needs to be put into position,’ says Proudfoot.
But that small problem aside, you won’t hear Proudfoot complaining about the size in the Stormers second row, where Andries Bekker also stands over 2m tall. Proudfoot sees the ease with which Etzebeth has adapted to senior rugby as a triumph for the systems that have been put in place at WP since 2008.
‘Eben has been coming to the High Performance Centre for quite a while now so it’s not a new environment for him and it has helped him fit comfortably into the top team.’
Proudfoot sounded an ominous warning to future Etzebeth opponents who might think they were seeing anything close to the finished product.
‘There is so much more he still has to show us. For a start we haven’t really had to use him in the lineout. He is an outstanding lineout forward and when there is a game when Duane [Vermeulen] and Andries are shut down we will see the full extent of his repertoire. He is also going to come more into his own as a ball-carrier. He is an awesome athlete.
‘He’s growing in confidence, which is the result of being backed in the pre-season and playing in all the warm-up games. As a young player he had to be physically up to the challenge. He went through that barrier and it enabled him to prove to himself that he could not only survive at senior level but also excel there. One of the great things about him is that he is proactive in his decision-making.’
Etzebeth has played all his rugby for the Stormers as what old-timers would call a front lock, but he played his junior rugby in the No 5 jersey.
‘He can play No 4 and No 5, but he is not a light jolly jumper-type player that has become the norm in modern rugby,’ says Dobson. ‘Matt is working hard on getting him to be a fusion of the two. Not many locks can be both. Eben is not as dirty as some locks who fulfil the role he does but he is also no angel. Let’s put it this way, I wouldn’t like to cross him on the field. In fact, I wouldn’t play against him at all. He’s scary.’
– This article first appeared in the May issue of SA Rugby magazine.
631 Comments
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8 Jun 2012, 06:55 am
Good luck for your debut tomorrow Eben! Give them hell
8 Jun 2012, 06:55 am
Great article…! Great story…!!
8 Jun 2012, 07:11 am
Hey I heard the guy speak for the first time on Boots and All last night. He speaks English with an Afrikaans accent! What a wonderful surprise, given that he ran out for that wannabe Pommie university UCT in the Varsity Cup and all.
I like the guy even more now.
8 Jun 2012, 07:22 am
@ufo(i_love_eben_etzebeth)-2:
i couldn’t agree more.
a real feel gooder. the bit where he decides to stay in cape town so he can look after his mom just seals it.
he may not be as ‘naughty’ as bakkies, but he certainly looks just as hard if not harder.
8 Jun 2012, 07:23 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-3:
anglish..?…
8 Jun 2012, 07:24 am
and great kid
8 Jun 2012, 07:25 am
We shouldn’t push our young locks too much. Locks generally only start peaking around 28 years. For years even Victor and Bakkies were in the wilderness at international level (Straueli era and Jake White away tours). I enjoy watching Eben play because he always crosses the advantage line (like Hougaard and Alberts) but with this will come injuries. I think no.4 lock for the Springboks is more a worry than no.5.
8 Jun 2012, 07:26 am
Etzebeth’s – give them hell, total respect for u
8 Jun 2012, 07:26 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-3: What about Mouritz speaking Afrikaans to SABC news with his England jumper on. Weird!
8 Jun 2012, 07:29 am
I think that he will be become an absolute revelation for the Boks in time.
However, my only concern is pushing him too young may lead to injuries as has Andries Bekker experienced.
8 Jun 2012, 07:31 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-3:
The article does say he isn’t the finished product yet.
8 Jun 2012, 07:42 am
Class player. Really strange (in a good way) for a 20 year old to be so strong, and naturally to.
If he stays fit, by the time he’s 25 he could be a frightning prospect.
8 Jun 2012, 07:51 am
Not many enforcer locks out there. With the kak flip in the squad Heineken is one injury away from an enforcer crisis. The only other enforcers out there is Mostert or the 19 year giant Willemse.
I would fast track Willemse into the squad if I were Heineken.
8 Jun 2012, 07:55 am
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-4:
for sure… a humble person… and potential great player…
reckon he’s going to become a big time south african favoutrite… no matter what their color or accent…
so he can play 4 and 5… which is what i was suggesting yesterday…
also didn’t know he was a sprinter at school… would be great to see him make a couple of breaks…
8 Jun 2012, 07:55 am
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-4: Bakkies are you going to love Estebeth now – what about Bakkies?
8 Jun 2012, 08:08 am
Go Eben, bring down the house!
8 Jun 2012, 08:11 am
@BreakdownBoy(goodstuff)-16:
*Cue to waving of pom poms*
8 Jun 2012, 08:12 am
Representing the Boks has come at the right time of the season for Estebeth.His performances for the Stormers were beginning to plateau since the Crusaders game after a string of phenomenal performances from the start of Super rugby.This test will invigorate him and see HM’s weird notions of resurrecting Victor be put to rest.I don’t see Estebeth as an enforcer,he reminds me of one of those rare players/forwards that you can not pigeon hole.
8 Jun 2012, 08:14 am
Goodwood not for the faint hearted.
No wonder the guy is a monster.
8 Jun 2012, 08:15 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-3:
Hey Tacitus – this guy is a Afrikaans guy through and through …. but the nice Afrikaans, the ones from the Cape
Here is a cool video of him from his agents website at his school.
http://www.universalpublishers.co.za/unionsports/issue/13/index.php
Very humble guy by the sounds of things. Heyneke would have looked into all those things I pressume. Seems like this young kid has really got it. Scary thing is that the rumours are the he is far from the finished article and has real mental, athletic and physical attributes to be something seriously special.
8 Jun 2012, 08:17 am
@The Analyst(The Analyst)-20:
And I think the best thing for him is to get under Heyneke and Matfields wings at this early stage ….. don’t want him to turn into a Skinstad show pony ……
8 Jun 2012, 08:17 am
Eben is awesome but WP have another enforcer coming through in 21 year old Quinn Roux – and the beauty of it is, he was schooled at Affies – thus we’ve stolen one back for a change. So would love to see Quinn at 4 and Eben at 5 for WP in the future, and occasionally give Dries some much needed rest. Also think Juandre (schooled at Paul Roos), will be awesome for the Boks. Good luck to the new boys on Saturday!
8 Jun 2012, 08:19 am
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-18:
He’s been carrying a shoulder injury since the middle of the stormers overseas trip… so has not been as physical lately as he was when injury free…
the biggest concern for all of us is that it has healed properly now…
would be a tragedy to ruin his career by playing him still injured…
crossing fingers…
8 Jun 2012, 08:19 am
@ufo(ufo)-14:
yip
agreed.
@RL(RL)-15:
honestly, i am growing fonder of the kid with every game he plays. i love the way he’s able to drive players back and/or hold them up in the tackle. his controlled aggression is spot on. i would like to see him get a little naughty in tight game against the ab’s or oz though.
the great thing about bakkies was his physical abrasiveness which worked well to unsettle opposition. he was a lot more controlled than he’s credited but did do the naughty stuff where needed.
i watched the bulls vs reds 2007 memorable match tribute to heyneke game shown the other night, bakkies came on as a sub with the game well won and the way in which he riled some of the reds players was such fun. there was one driving maul try in which bakkies receives a flurry of blows to the face from a reds prop or flank but just continues driving through them after the score with what seemed like a smirky laugh on his face.
just bakkies….
8 Jun 2012, 08:21 am
I really like this kid.
Gets stuck in, can mix it with the hardest of them but seems to be able to stay away from the dirty, niggly stuff.
Too often, no 4 locks get involved in off the ball stuff and become penalty or yellow card merchants.
He just gets on with it.
8 Jun 2012, 08:22 am
There has been talk that Eben is carrying a shoulder injury. Can anyone shed some light on the matter. I hope we are not playing him with an injury!
8 Jun 2012, 08:27 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-3:
Jinne you can talk the biggest load of utter tripe sometimes
8 Jun 2012, 08:29 am
I truly really wish they would quit the overhype and let him feckingwill be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8 Jun 2012, 08:29 am
Why should we fear the Irish?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10811461
love it if the irish klap them.
8 Jun 2012, 08:30 am
The man love for this dude makes me want to take a shower.
8 Jun 2012, 08:31 am
@Target(Target)-26:
Heyneke would not play him with an injury. He had one on overseas tour but is now over it.
8 Jun 2012, 08:31 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-27:
hehehe
8 Jun 2012, 08:31 am
Eben love-in
Let him alone
AND ………. HE SPEAK WITH AFRIKAANS ACCENT!!!!!!!!!
Oh my fecking hat
8 Jun 2012, 08:33 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-3: He was actually a student at Stellenbosch University but he played for UCT on “orders” from the WPRU as he was contracted to them back then already.
I must say that when I met him before the start of last year’s season, I was blown away by his size. Not just tall but very muscular, particularly for his age (then 19). He hadn’t played any games for the WP senior side then so he was a bit of an unknown quantity for me at the time, but I knew that I guy that big was going to make an impact, unless he had the heart of a lamb, which by now we all know is the opposite.
After chatting to him (I knew the family by sight and reputation) I got the feeling that he was going to be the next big thing as locks go.
Still very early in his career as a player but he’s setting the world alight.
Go Eben!
8 Jun 2012, 08:33 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-33:
You love those Afrikaans boys Dawn …. we all know it …
8 Jun 2012, 08:34 am
My sincere hope is that we’ll be talking about him in the next 10yrs much in the same vein as Matfield (IMHO, the best lock forward produced in Saffa).
That’ll be huge boots to fill, but I suspect that this youngster is up for such lofty expectations. Go well fella, become the giant we’re touting you to become. Can only be a good thing for Bok rugby….
8 Jun 2012, 08:35 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-28:
he is a bakkies version 2.0 model.
super hero looks for the ladies
hard steel for the men.
the hype will only grow bigger.
8 Jun 2012, 08:35 am
Watched him in Varsity Cup and with SA u20′s and he looked like a man amongst boys! With Bekker / Kruger at Boks – probably have the tallest, mobile and most balanced lock pairing(s) in World Rugby! What also impresses me about Eben is the manner in which he carries himself (met him recently at Loftus) in particular his maturity. Hats off to WP for nuturing this young talent. Looking forward to watching him play for the Boks for many years to come.
8 Jun 2012, 08:36 am
Elizabeth is going to be introduced to test rugby in typical England fashion…..they are going to target him in the loose.
8 Jun 2012, 08:36 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-33: That’s not an Afrikaans accent. It’s a Goodwood accent.
Be afraid. be very afraid…. LOL
8 Jun 2012, 08:36 am
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters. Stormers support England.(Predawn)-30:
peter davies…?…
8 Jun 2012, 08:37 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-34:
big day for him tomorrow…
i have no doubt he will make the same impact as he did when he started playing for the stormers…!
8 Jun 2012, 08:38 am
@Pot Blou Gevaar(Pot Blou Gevaar)-36:
for sure… let’ hope his career is a long and injury-free one…
8 Jun 2012, 08:38 am
@Target(Target)-26: if he was carrying an injury and playing with an injury then it would be the fault of the mediocre AC. A kak coach who cannot look after players.
8 Jun 2012, 08:39 am
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters. Stormers support England.(Predawn)-30: Well if it’s the only way to get you to wash off some of the filth you speak here – mission accomplished?
8 Jun 2012, 08:43 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-40:
I’m referring to Tacitus’ idiotic observation. Read the posts.
8 Jun 2012, 08:44 am
A guy on Reunion, when refering to Eben said,”Where do they keep finding these monsters? It’s like they just shake a tree and all these gorillas fall out.”
8 Jun 2012, 08:44 am
@ufo(ufo)-23:
Yes, forgot he was carrying shoulder niggle.Bok locks, Estebeth and Kruger have tremendous potential, if they can demonstrate that potential against England,going to be a mighty game.
8 Jun 2012, 08:44 am
This song is dedicated to the English:
Climb into the ring for a battle that you can’t win
Swing as hard as you can swing, it will still mean nothing
Should’ve seen it coming
It had to happen sometime
But you went and brought a knife
To an all out gun fight
And the only thing to save
Is the banner that you wave
To be wrapped around your grave
You’ve gone too far
(get up, get up)
Who do you think you are
(get up so we can finish this)
Is this what you came for
(get up, get up)
Well this means war
(get up so we can finish this)
Say anything you want
But talk will get you nowhere
The only thing you’ve brought was psychological warfare
Well there’s no getting out
And now you got to wonder
Who will dig you out when you’re six feet under
And the only thing to save
Is the banner that you wave
To be wrapped around your grave
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3vJ5XyjGa8
8 Jun 2012, 08:44 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-46: I know dawn.
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