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, 11:19 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-193:
ons gaan hulle lekker M O E R ne
8 Jun 2012, 11:22 am
@vasteses(vasteses)-201: Ja…Lekker Fakkedup…
8 Jun 2012, 11:22 am
@mad eye(mad eye)-185: Yup. When I think of the promise to ‘wreak havoc’ young Marcell has made, I hope someone has told him he can’t do it while flat on his butt post face palm? Bursting bubbles and all that. It seems you also suck at ‘t i t’ for ‘tat’? What do they teach you floral board short bruvs in Durbs?
8 Jun 2012, 11:25 am
ou VAN, Sipho en Ricardo sit by die kaapse hawe toe daar n M oerse wit haai veby swem en iemand skree kyk daai m oerse wit haai,
Sipho is dadelik op sy agterpote en sê: hoekom moet alles wat groot is WIT wees kan dit nie n swart haai wees nie.
Ricardo: nai man n swart haai sal mos nooit kan swem nie.dit moet n bruin haai genmoem word.
VAN: jy kan mos nou nie n haai in die see hê wat sonder voortande rond swem nie.
8 Jun 2012, 11:28 am
@mad eye(mad eye)-185: Huzzit Maloog… Just bringing my regular reality injection for our Muppet cousins…
Nevertheless as Sharkies we are fully behind the Boks… None of this flaky “We hope they lose envy to teach Heyneke a lesson” bulldust for us…
Our Dynamite Blood is now Green… Until after we send them homeward ta think again
8 Jun 2012, 11:28 am
INKOPIELYS: TANNIE LOOP DORP TOE. STOP ELKE NOU EN DAN EN VAT AAN HAAR KOP,BORSTE EN KOEKIE.
JONG MAN VRA LATER WAT`S FOUT?
“NIKS, DIS MY INKOPIE LYS.
Een Koolkop, 2LT MELK EN IETSIE LEKKER VIR DIE OOM!”
8 Jun 2012, 11:29 am
@vasteses(vasteses)-204: VOKLOLLL! BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
8 Jun 2012, 11:31 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-174:
Did you not say the other day, “my country does not exist anymore.” Just asking.
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-178:
That explains it then.
8 Jun 2012, 11:31 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-205:
ja nee die negatiewe mannetjies op die site wat eerder die bokke sal sien verloor omdat n paar van hulle mannetjies nie in die span is nie gee my sommer n GAT kramp. plaas hulle maar eerder juksky gaan kyk.
8 Jun 2012, 11:32 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-193: And you call us gaylords? I think you spent too much time at Toastmasters? This is way beyond Barbara Streisand Cyril. You actually spend time writing this?
I will be back, just going to wipe my ‘ma(n)scara’ off my chin.
8 Jun 2012, 11:35 am
203
Is that a *** or a tat sorry I’m not very good at reading ****.
But when you talk about handoffs the one that always comes to mind is little Pat Lambie putting Burger off the bus in the Currie cup final .
That one is written in indelible ink.
Anyway brokebacks Durban is alive and buzzing with rugby.
The weather seems to have cleared up and tomorrow looks like being a good day.
8 Jun 2012, 11:36 am
@nama1(nama1)-208: Hehehe… My Land is your Land…
8 Jun 2012, 11:38 am
@mad eye(mad eye)-211: But Burger hasn’t threatened to wreak havoc now, has he? Durban is alive and buzzing with rugby because fans from England and the rest of SA have pulled into town. The Durban locals will probably be attending another ‘Royal Show’ or something similar this weekend. Great pity that.
8 Jun 2012, 11:38 am
ek laaik die span , ja goed ons fulback is seker nie great nie maar daar is nie great fulbacks op die oomblik is SA nie hy is darrem veilig en in posiesie meeste van die tyd. En ou Spiesie goeie siel wat hy is, is seker ook nie op sy ou beste vorm nie, so ook ou habanatjie en ons cappie, maar hulle is nou my mense en ek gaan nie toelaat dat anner mense nou met my se mense rond F O K nie **** julle my.
8 Jun 2012, 11:38 am
204
& Dawn is upset with what I said. . .
8 Jun 2012, 11:39 am
***** = VERSTAAN
8 Jun 2012, 11:40 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-210: Yes… yes… My Blood is Green… In Heyneke we all Trust… Well, not really all… There are some traitorous, rather effeminate cnuts who dont really understand the 15 man game Played in Heaven because they have never bled for a brother on Fields of Green… But then again they are a minority… Thankfully.
8 Jun 2012, 11:41 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-203:
is jy van ons dam se eende, of kom jy van n ander dam af?
8 Jun 2012, 11:43 am
@Atreides(Atreides)-197:
Hold on cowboy!! Put your gun back in its holster!!!
I said we did not know what the “exchange” between the two players was. It was explained in a latter post. OK.
Still funny though that a scrum call is made by just the two players and that the Leinster statement did not say anything about a scrum call but mentioned something about “an exchange during the match between two Leinster players which was misinterpreted.”
Mmmmm…..
In any case, that’s in the past. Let’s move on.
8 Jun 2012, 11:44 am
@vasteses(vasteses)-209: Careful cuzzie… Rabid anti Heyneke poeftas running around… But we moerhulle stukkend now and again… Put them in their place…
Heyneke’s Green and Gold will prevail.
8 Jun 2012, 11:46 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-217:
ja dis n interesante stelling “they have never bled for a brother on Fields of Green” ek wonner hoeveel manne op die site het na gr 1 nog rugby gespeel of het ooit al rugby gespeel. Want ek moet sê as hulle op die veld waar ek gespeel het, die goed kwyt geraak het wat hulle nou kwyt raak sou ek en my span hulle verseker n bietjie gemoer het
8 Jun 2012, 11:47 am
@Atreides(Atreides)-197:
you know nama.
where there’s smoke there’s racist braaing somewhere.
8 Jun 2012, 11:49 am
@vasteses(vasteses)-214:
Snaaks hoe mense ou Zane se keuse “aanvaar” noudat hy deur Meyer gekies is.
Ek onthou nog goed die baie beskrywende woorde wat aan hom en PdV toegedig is toe hy deur laasgenoemde gekies is.
Nou skielike **** ons niks van “kwota keuse”, “kwota afrigter” ens nie.
Nee, ons kyk nou na Zane se sterkpunte.
Suid Afrika se mense is lekker, partykeer miskien ‘n bietjie bedonnerd, mense.
8 Jun 2012, 11:50 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-213:
Let’s see if the statistics back you up
Stormers at Newlands: average 40,842 (max capacity 51,900) – 79%
Bulls at Loftus: average 33,110 (max capacity 51,762) – 64%
Sharks at the Tank: average 26,011 (max capacity 55,000) – 47%
8 Jun 2012, 11:50 am
ek laaik enige speler wat groen en goud dra, maar ek moet sê, dit was moelik om vir Bolla Conradie kwaai te laaik maar ek het hom n bietjie gelaaik.
8 Jun 2012, 11:51 am
@vasteses(vasteses)-221: “sou ek en my span hulle verseker n bietjie gemoer het”…
Classic
8 Jun 2012, 11:52 am
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-224:
That, by the way, are 2012 Super 15 home attendance figures.
8 Jun 2012, 11:53 am
@vasteses(vasteses)-225: shitsake… you are on form today…. Lol
8 Jun 2012, 11:54 am
@Atreides(Atreides)-189: Something I like about Etzebeth is his humility and support of his former high school. I saw him in the beginning of February at an athletics’ meeting in Bellville, Northern Suburbs of Cape Town called the MTBS (meaning DF Malan – M, Tygerberg – T, Bellville – B and Stellenberg – S). It is attended by about 10 000 + people every year and he was there to support his Alma Mater. He walked right past me and it was difficult not to notice the HUGE biceps.
A couple of weeks later, when the Stormers had a bye, there was a pre-season rugby tournament held at Boland Agricultural School (My son played for another school). He was there to support Tygerberg High. Obviously everybody recognized him and he was asked to pose for numerous photos, which he did with a smile. Later that afternoon he was at Goodwood rugby club ( I know somebody that was there during the afternoon) where everybody offered him beers etc but he insisted on drinking water only. Despite being an Etzebeth ( you’ve heard a number of stories about his relatives on this site) there has to be somebody in his life that is mentoring him very well (and he seems to listen to that person). It was great hearing about the water instead of beer. This “boy” certainly knows what he wants and how to achieve it.
8 Jun 2012, 11:56 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-222:
…with a few friends to “klop hom op sy skouer vir al sy slimmighede wat hy kwytraak elke keer as hy sy mond oopmaak.”
Jy ken die storie.
8 Jun 2012, 11:57 am
@Atreides(Atreides)-184:
@John Galt(John Galt)-188:
yip
its my feelings on the guy too.
8 Jun 2012, 12:00 pm
@vasteses(vasteses)-221: A bit of hows your uncle onfield always a good thing… Then a beer (or ten) afterwards… always.
And that is Rugby.
Soos wat Bismarck gese het:
Bismarck du Plessis, making plain just how raw and bare-knuckled he would prefer the game to be.
“I would like a street fight to be honest with you,” said Du Plessis. “It looks like you guys want us to fight this weekend.
“England are a very physical side. They play a forward-orientated game and they set the challenge. We would like to accept that challenge and give them what they are not expecting.”
The all-Sharks front-row are likely to test England in the scrummage. Du Plessis’ opposite number, Dylan Hartley, has just returned from an eight week ban for biting Ireland’s Stephen Ferris. Might du Plessis be able to take advantage of an opponent now on best behaviour?
“I’m just a farmer’s boy, I read Farmer’s Weekly and I don’t really read into other people’s behaviour,” he said, relishing the very prospect of the confrontation.
Beyootiful!
8 Jun 2012, 12:02 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-224:
The stats fail to mantion that when Stormers played at Loftus and Kingspark, 75% of the supporters in the sadiums were Stormer supporters.
So Stormers supporters give their figures a little boost actually.
8 Jun 2012, 12:02 pm
@nama1(nama1)-230:
jaaaaaa boet.
here’s a backslap for you.
8 Jun 2012, 12:03 pm
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-229:
“Dis asof die Goodwood-sportklub se kroeg effens stiller raak as Cliffie daar instap…”
8 Jun 2012, 12:03 pm
Keohane still missing in action?
Let’s hope he didn’t go to Noupoort.
8 Jun 2012, 12:04 pm
@nama1(nama1)-233:
mantion = mention
8 Jun 2012, 12:05 pm
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-229: Good one.
8 Jun 2012, 12:06 pm
Happy Birthday Pierre Spies.
I wish you a great game tomorrow…
8 Jun 2012, 12:06 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-236:
He’s gone to ground.
Max Clifford isn’t returning his phone calls.
8 Jun 2012, 12:08 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-240:
Clifford’s too busy with Shrien Dewani to be bothered by Keohane.
8 Jun 2012, 12:09 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-224: And they do. Which is why the Sharks praise singers arguments don’t add up – ever. They claim that Kings Park is the BEST stadium in the world to watch rugby, and that this is backed up by international praise singing as well. Yet: if a nightclub is the BEST, it is full – and if it is k u k it is a graveyard………So until these bruvs fill that stadium up it obviously ain’t all that. The other reason could simply be, the Sharks just genuinely don’t have the ‘fan numbers’ they take credit for?
8 Jun 2012, 12:11 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-234:
So, what do you think about the stars that I’ve been consulting, now? You know the stars that told me that the Bulls would lose three out of their next four games starting with the Crusaders match.
I know they were wrong though. It was actually three out of three. Hahahaha.
Versigtig wees. Nog twee nederlae le voor na die toetse.
8 Jun 2012, 12:12 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-242:
I was surprised at the Loftus figures, I would have thought Bulls fans are more loyal than that.
WP/Stormers fans are the most loyal fans in the world.
8 Jun 2012, 12:12 pm
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-229: He also happened to be the only member of the Stormers squad who took Schalk’s wife flowers when she announced her pregnancy (Nick Koster said so). A very good kid this – grounded and humble.
8 Jun 2012, 12:15 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-244: Bulls fans are loyal to 3 things only. In no particular order: Klippies, Bobby van Jaarsveld and Noot vir Noot. Watching the Bulls play is reserved for when the Bulls are winning, top of the log, defending champs etc – no loyalty involved what so ever.
8 Jun 2012, 12:17 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-236:
Didn’t he resign from the board? Don’t know whether he’s also taken “gardening leave”.
8 Jun 2012, 12:17 pm
@nama1(nama1)-243:
well judging by your superbru even abroken watch is right twice a day.
I wouldn’t quit your day job.
(is break time over yet?)
8 Jun 2012, 12:20 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-246:
Too true. I remember the “fan revolt” when they protested outside Loftus.
8 Jun 2012, 12:20 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-236:
I’ve been wondering about the artcle re Keo’s substance abuse this whole week.
Could it have been an intervention by friends who really care about him and is worried about him? Ala Boy George’s family members who went to the press after all the pleas fell on deaf ears.
On the other hand, Keo tweeted about a disgruntled employee who brought up stuff (drug use) that happened three years ago.
Still find it impossible to believe that a decorated investigative journalist like Jaques Pauw, broke a story that belong in Die Son.
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