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, 09:44 am
Ashwin is plat.
So ergo, all coloureds speak like that.
Ne Katman.
8 Jun 2012, 09:45 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-99: Iets fout met jou ole?
8 Jun 2012, 09:46 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-101:
Have no idea what you just said.
8 Jun 2012, 09:46 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-68: A clear gimme that might actually save the Lions from oblivion come end of season… Humble Gratitude not childish arrogance should be the order of the day.
8 Jun 2012, 09:46 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-102:
I dunno what you talking about.
Really.
Vlooie? Fleas?
Ole? Football rallying call?
8 Jun 2012, 09:47 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-101: Ashwin may be plat, but he’s the best analyst they have on the TV panel. I always pay closer attention to what he says than the rest.
8 Jun 2012, 09:47 am
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters. Stormers support England.(Predawn)-103:
You Great White.
You not supposed to know.
8 Jun 2012, 09:47 am
@67 Elizabeth?
& Levi’s 501 Jeanpants de Villiers
8 Jun 2012, 09:48 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-106:
Just play along.
8 Jun 2012, 09:49 am
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-71: Yes… yes… So he wasn’t playing 100%… he wasn’t playing through the pain barrier… So he was scared of being hurt further?
Makes sense then.
8 Jun 2012, 09:49 am
Aweh Dawn
8 Jun 2012, 09:50 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-90: Ek is vrot might be more appropriate
8 Jun 2012, 09:51 am
Just one small criticism of Meyer…why the vark does he always have to start off every press interview by telling everyone how blessed he is to be chosen as the Bok coach. We get it already platkop.
8 Jun 2012, 09:53 am
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters. Stormers support England.(Predawn)-113:
Just be thankful he doesn’t start each press interview with a prayer and a reading from the Bible.
8 Jun 2012, 09:53 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-81: Coetzee is different… As Coach Heyneke states “A superstar”.
Your “extensive” rugby knowledge does not compare.
8 Jun 2012, 09:53 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-106:
Fully.
8 Jun 2012, 09:54 am
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-114:
Haaahhhhaaaa!
8 Jun 2012, 09:55 am
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-93:
I follow Mujati’s Twitter account, and he is very bitter towards SA Rugby. Something was said or done that he was not happy with, and I actually get the impression he is ‘anti-bok’.
Would love to know the full story… Even the other day 2 sports journo’s were talking about coming back in to the team and being selected, they were both being very complimentary, but he waded in basically told them to leave him alone and leave him out Bok conversations. Someone said he didnt want to play for the Boks again, but he said that the opposite actually happened. Meaning some nasty incident went down… Surprised it hasnt come out yet.
8 Jun 2012, 09:55 am
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters. Stormers support England.(Predawn)-85:
8 Jun 2012, 09:59 am
@Dazzler(Dazzler)-118: He was **** when he played here and is bitter amoungst other things about the way he was basically discarded. I still don’t think he’s amazing. Many props play better up North than here, not sure why. BJ is a classic example. They love him there but he’s terrible in the scrum for the Boks.
8 Jun 2012, 10:01 am
BJ Botha was always overrated at The Sharks. Very average in my opinion.
Used to see him at Virgin Active in Kloof, KZN. Unfriendly tosser as well.
8 Jun 2012, 10:02 am
@Dazzler(Dazzler)-118:
Indeed.
8 Jun 2012, 10:03 am
Just hope AC doesn’t destroy this kid through poor management like he has some others
8 Jun 2012, 10:04 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-115: ‘Coach’ Heyneke has also called Eben a superstar, and went on further to say that Eben will surpass Bakkies….so no tick in the box for you there. The only difference between the Eben and Marcell hype, is that Marcell is contributing to his own build up with some of his utterances.
8 Jun 2012, 10:05 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-120:
Yeah that’s what I was wondering, is it an incident that occured or is he bitter due to a chip on his shoulder. If it is a chip, then f*** him. You earn your spot at the Boks, simple.
8 Jun 2012, 10:09 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-124:
He said, she said…
Lambie said that he was going to tackle all his opponents around the ankles during the RWC. Is that arrogant or a stated fact? Coetzee is trash talking like many sportsmen do to intimidate the opposition. It’s not new or frowned upon unless the opposite happens, and in this case he happens to be a good player. Elizabeth and Coetzee are good.
8 Jun 2012, 10:13 am
Since the Sharks have the largest Bok contingent, and therefore the Boks are truly playing a home game on the mythical, magical Field Of Kings Park…
An Ode….
In Kings Park field the tackles blow
Between the Players, row on row,
That mark their place; and in the sky
The mynahs, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the hits below.
We are the Sharks. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Kings Park field.
Take up Bok quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hand offs we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who in the stands die
We shall not sleep, though Bok hits flow
In Kings Park fields…
8 Jun 2012, 10:14 am
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters. Stormers support England.(Predawn)-126: Exactly – now if you could just text this little message to your bruvva HG in the interests of ‘fair play’ – we can all move on. I reacted purely in the ‘both sides of the story’ tradition. (Something a few of the Sharks groupies round here don’t seem to appreciate just yet)
8 Jun 2012, 10:15 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-124: And as you rightly point out, Coach Heyneke is right.
Say after me… Right.
8 Jun 2012, 10:15 am
@Dazzler(Dazzler)-125:
He has a blog as well: http://www.worldartists.co.za/page/team-players/brianmujati/361998-The-Secret-Life-of-Brian-Mujati
8 Jun 2012, 10:17 am
@Dazzler(Dazzler)-118: ZANUCunt
8 Jun 2012, 10:18 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-127: I just hope they can fill the stadium – that will be a good start? And for your interest, and to perhaps explain in a true and honest rugby supporters way, the reason behind so many Sharks starting, take not of the following: Mr Lancaster and his analysts spend considerable time and effort compiling dossiers on the Bulls and Stormers – yes, you read correctly: The Bulls and Stormers. Would it not make sense to flush the Bok team with Sharks considering these are the players Lancaster seems to have worried the LEAST about in England’s preparation? Make you think, does it not?
8 Jun 2012, 10:20 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-124: What utterances from Coetzee? All I read is that the guy said he will try his best, he likes to be physical and tackle all day and has big boots to fill
8 Jun 2012, 10:20 am
Dawn ignores me like the plague ever since I described ricardo loubscher’s looks
8 Jun 2012, 10:22 am
I enjoyed the article and then I realised why: it wasn’t written by the gruesome twosome.
8 Jun 2012, 10:23 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-132: It seems the English have done the wrong homework then… As long as you feel validated by Lancaster and “his analysts”… Stormerpom plainly. Me, I prefer Kaiser Heyneke, Rassie and Van Graan’s…
Now say after me again… Coach Heyneke is Right
Then again, maybe you just cant.
Treacherous little cnut.
8 Jun 2012, 10:24 am
@viewer(viewer)-134:
Are you surprised.
8 Jun 2012, 10:25 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-137:
Bonjour sweetness.
8 Jun 2012, 10:27 am
HG, why go there? You don’t know his political affiliations. Besides as far as I know he’s still eligible to play for SA. So you are yet another person to call him a you-know-what, after he was similarly abused on the field in England. I’m sure you heard the story
8 Jun 2012, 10:27 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-127: Pull up your pants
8 Jun 2012, 10:28 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-132: LOL
8 Jun 2012, 10:31 am
Yes
8 Jun 2012, 10:34 am
@viewer(viewer)-139: What is a You know what? And anyway his little sobstory was exposed for the Zanu style lies it was…
Beast = Good
Mujati = Zanu = Bad
Understand?
8 Jun 2012, 10:36 am
Leinster Rugby have confirmed that they will hold an internal enquiry into Brian Mujati’s claim that he was racially abused during Northampton Saints’ friendly victory over the province on Friday night.
Writing on his Twitter account on Saturday morning, Mujati alleged that Leinster duo Steven Sykes and Heinke van der Merwe had repeatedly called him “a ******” during scrums.
The South African prop said of his compatriots: “I was shocked by how blatant they were being and to think I actually thought I knew Heinke from back in the Lions days. “The guy then tries to shake my hand after the game. Naturally I kindly told him to **** off. I wish them all the best with their careers.”
Leinster issued the following statement later in the day: “Following allegations made by a Northampton Saints player this morning via his personal Twitter account, Leinster Rugby are holding a full internal investigation.
“The managements of both teams are in close communication and hopefully the matter will be resolved as soon as possible. No further comment will be made at this time until that resolution has been reached”
8 Jun 2012, 10:38 am
@viewer(viewer)-144:
He is not a South African, he’s a Zimbabwean.
He does not hold SA citizenship like Beast does.
8 Jun 2012, 10:39 am
Tacitus.
What English Speaking boy would be named Eben Etsabeth? You were surprised when you heard him speak Afrikaans. Why on Earth were you surprised?
I am glad you get exited about Afrikaaners fighting through and against the odds to become selected as Springboks. I must say that the Historical regularity of Afrikaaners getting selected for the Boks is more of an expected situation as far as I am concerned. Afrikaans players always have and always will make up the majority of the best players in South Africa.
Would you have liked him less if say he spoke Afrikaans with a touch of the Soutie?
8 Jun 2012, 10:41 am
@viewer(viewer)-144: As I was saying… He is a Zanucunt, through and through.
A liar… Plainly. And overrated. Definitely.
8 Jun 2012, 10:42 am
That’s what happened to your zanu cu_nt
Steven Sykes. Name’s sort of familiar. . .
8 Jun 2012, 10:43 am
@hensopper1(hensopper1)-146:
Tacitus believes in a homogenous culture.
8 Jun 2012, 10:46 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-147:
Magtag you are tedious
Hou jou bek man
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