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.
Get the latest issue of SA Rugby magazine for just R5.95 (digital edition)
‘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
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 [6] 7 8 9 10 11 … 13 » Show All
8 Jun 2012, 12:20 pm
Been to many Stadiums, the world over… it is hard to beat Kings Park for atmosphere…and the fact it is hard NOT to find a beer.
Parc…Stade De France
Twickers
Millenium
“Aviva”
Roma
Loftus
Newlands
Free State
Ellis
They all fall short in some way… Maybe I’m slightly biased, but Kings Park is hard to beat..
The Honest Rugby World agrees though… Travelling fans and players from all countries that come to SA always have KP as one of their highlights…
8 Jun 2012, 12:23 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-245: I saw that in Koster’s “blog” yes.
8 Jun 2012, 12:23 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-248:
Did you check out my position on Bru for the Winter Tours?
8 Jun 2012, 12:28 pm
@nama1(nama1)-250:
Keohane has not made himself popular with a number of people in the media industry.
I would not be surprised if Graeme Joffe might have been behind the story breaking. Keohane and Joffe have been having a mudslinging contest for a while now regarding Keohane’s involvement with the Southern Kings.
8 Jun 2012, 12:29 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-251: Subjective indeed. I am in no way saying Kings Park is crappy, as I have enjoyed myself thoroughly there on many occasions. I am just asking you to provide me with evidence a little more concrete than the following: “everyone says its the best even those from overseas”. You and your Sharks bruvs give opinion as fact – yet the only true way to determine a stadiums popularity, is by how many people actually visit it? Surely? And it is right there all the fanfare falls flat.
8 Jun 2012, 12:31 pm
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-252: Yeah. Seems to be just a really nice and decent kid. With all the media interest in him, I have yet to hear him say anything that could be construed as arrogance.
8 Jun 2012, 12:38 pm
Why are the Sharks supporters such as disingenuous bunch of wankers? They never call to account any of their own halfwit brothers who cannot make a single post without having a jibe at the Stormers. They post their farking smileys like dutiful little Pavlov’s sheep who’ve been conditioned to do so whatever these morons say. It is so tired and tedious now they are pissingoff more than just Stormers fans.
Yet, when any one else reacts the Sharks charlatans pop-off like indignant little choirboys in unison. GoldenBoy made a comment about how tedious these schoolboys are and the immediate assumption and comeback is about being a Stormers fan. Which he is not. It says a lot about Sharks fans that they just cannot let it go and just will not criticize one of their own. Interestingly the Stormers fans have no problem being critical of each other.
Everyone else except Sharks fans and Tactlitus is making a genuine effort to put provincial rivalries aside. But not our Sharks fans. Lead by the Rhodesian When-we South African Wannabe, his pet rock PreDawn and his little sister Fern, they appeal to the most base, ugly, shallow, bitter and nasty human emotions and the most shocking thing is that all the Sharks fans respond to them, praise them and cheer them on. I keep waiting for ‘men’ like Puma, Sharks_Lover, RyeCatcher, Rangerman and others to dissociate themselves from these three scumchuckers and it speaks volumes that they never do.
HeavensGame has been doing this since he joined Keo. Charo suggested it was all tongue in cheek and used it as a stick to beat ‘sentitive’ Stormers fans who react. He and the others named above are very quick to jump on any Stormers banter but are not honest enough people to call to account their own brethren. The fact is it is not humorous banter to these three Sharks trolls. They really are ugly human beings who have sad empty meaningless lives who come onto this blog and defecate their obscenities here because it is the only way they can force anyone to pay attention to themselves.
If it is ‘just a joke’ as Charo suggests how stupid and what mental deficiencies do these people have to be telling the same joke for years now. That says all there is to say about all of them.
8 Jun 2012, 12:42 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-254:
I don’t think Moss and Saki will be too pleased with Keo if they lose the SASCOC contract.
8 Jun 2012, 12:46 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-255: I haven’t been to Newlands so cannot compare it, but Kings Park really rocks. Its safe, (My husband hates rugby so I have gone on my own at night matches and have never felt threatened) It has a scholar’s section where Sharkie entertains the kids, so the parents can enjoy the game while the kids are being entertained and you can see the kids from the stands so as a parent you can still keep an eye on your offspring! and the party, win or lose, after the game are to be experienced! Okai the food sold there is not that good,but it is edible. It is not Kings Park or the Sharks winning or losing that keeps the stadium half empty, its the general apathy of Durbanites! We do not get major concerts in Durban anymore because no one turns up
Have you ever been in Durban? Most walk around in slops on work days, the atmosphere is reealy laid back here, its a great place to live in but not one to get things done or to get people to an event. and sadly that is the truth 
8 Jun 2012, 12:47 pm
@FckU2(FckU2)-257:
Your “nic” speaks volumes of you i’m afraid.
Cheers
8 Jun 2012, 12:48 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-255: It is hard to beat for Everyone and Anyone who has been there… Simple… Anecdotal, I know but good enough for me and any other Honest Rugby Fan or Player…
You haven’t asked me “provide me with evidence a little more concrete” and if you are asking now….Tough luck my boy… Dont really know who you think you are to demand this humble poster to validate your hormonal driven state… But then again you probably dont need my validation, after all you have “Stuart Lancaster and his Analysts” to do that….
And PS: Dont forget to repeat “Heyneke is Right” at least 3 times… when you squeeze the pimples in front of the mirror in the morning… and when you hug Sharkey at night before Doedoes, ‘kay?
8 Jun 2012, 12:49 pm
@FckU2(FckU2)-257: And FckU2…See?
8 Jun 2012, 12:50 pm
@FckU2(FckU2)-257: That is maybe because most of us read who the post is by and skip to the next post without giving them any attention, maybe you should be doing the same instead of giving them the attention they are trying to get, and instead of generalising about all of us Sharks supporters. And a lot of the time some of the reaction by Sharks supporters is in direct knee jerk reaction to Stormer supporter’s posts!
8 Jun 2012, 12:50 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-261: 800 Words, and you haven’t answered my question? George Bush?
8 Jun 2012, 12:53 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-262: Forgot the :HeynekesBoksSmiley:
8 Jun 2012, 12:55 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-263:
Two of the best Sharks supporters: Sharksgirl and Treehugger!!!
A true reflection of the Real ones…
8 Jun 2012, 12:56 pm
@nama1(nama1)-191:
yes, but this was an instance in which it was innocently used simply as a scrum term for a pre-planned and trained tactic / scrum maneuver.
8 Jun 2012, 12:57 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-265: You also forgot the next installment of your Barbara Streisand’s “Ode to the Gold”. And for the record, I’m actually not sure why you think Stormer folk won’t be supporting the Boks. As I explained yesterday, there is very little most of us would change with the run on team. The squad – most definitely.
8 Jun 2012, 13:00 pm
Kings Park is the Greatest Stadium on the Planet…
Sharks are the Greatest Team… After the Boks, of course.
Sharks fans are the most passionate…
Sharks players are the best… After the Boks, of course
See… No slagging Stormers at all. And completely objective, of course.
Outtahere for now….Too many dumbfcks and assorted gaylords around… Box Office HG will be back when the Shark and Heyneke hysteria has died down a little…
8 Jun 2012, 13:01 pm
Sheesh….
Was chatting on this thread a few hours ago about Eben the Magnificent…
Seems to have gone down the toilet since then…
Go Eben… and Juandre and Marcel… Good luck to you young bucks…
Go and strut your stuff on the big stage!!
Go and give the world a display of what ‘pronking’ young Springboks look like…
Make us proud…!!
Good luck to Jean De Villiers too…!! Well done Cappie…
Lead the guys to a great win…!!
8 Jun 2012, 13:02 pm
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-229: Yea he seems like he has his head screwed on right, doesn’t act like he has something to prove. If he’s this strong at his age, I can only imagine him at 26-28 when he reaches his full strength and develops the bone density and hardness to go with it…and the skills to boot….frightening prospect…..really really really hope that his coaches keep him free of serious injuries ala Bekker and Duane though
8 Jun 2012, 13:03 pm
@ufo(ufo)-270:
Can’t leave the girls without supervision mate! Things go down quickly…
Agree good luck guys. Do us proud…
8 Jun 2012, 13:04 pm
@FckU2(FckU2)-257:
what have you got against irish rock bands?
8 Jun 2012, 13:04 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-232: I like the combative stance they;re taking…there was abit of grit lacking under PDV, the AB;s are unapolagetic about it and we should be too. As long as he can channel his aggression into the game and forget all the silly posed cocked-fist nonsense…
8 Jun 2012, 13:05 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-263:
Well said…
For what it’s worth… I’ll vouch for you any time…!
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-266:
I second that…
8 Jun 2012, 13:06 pm
@charo(charo)-273: You have to admit Bono has become a bit painful since stepping into Gandhi’s shoes.
8 Jun 2012, 13:07 pm
Also…
have met Charo…
He really is an excellent stand-up guy… buy him a beer any time…
As are Puma, Ranger, Sharks_Lover and Rye…
8 Jun 2012, 13:10 pm
@charo(charo)-273:
hey charo… how you doing bud…?
didn;t know you were here when writing the above post…
8 Jun 2012, 13:10 pm
@ufo(ufo)-277:
I was referring to our girl sharks. But yes to those…
8 Jun 2012, 13:10 pm
@ufo(ufo)-277: I see you don’t mention Larry, his brother Darryl and his other brother Darryl?
8 Jun 2012, 13:11 pm
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-272:
Apparently not…
8 Jun 2012, 13:12 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-276:
as in the jock who told him “then stop clapping you friggen idiot”?
8)
8 Jun 2012, 13:12 pm
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-266: @ufo(ufo)-275: Thank you guys
8 Jun 2012, 13:13 pm
@ufo(ufo)-277: They’re all fine when they leave Natal. I think the humidity is largely to blame.
8 Jun 2012, 13:13 pm
@charo(charo)-273:
8 Jun 2012, 13:13 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-259: Great pity that. But it should be full tomorrow.
8 Jun 2012, 13:14 pm
@charo(charo)-282: Exactly
8 Jun 2012, 13:14 pm
@FckU2(FckU2)-257:
Yaaay!
Welcome back!
8 Jun 2012, 13:15 pm
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-279:
hehehe
yes i know you were…
the ladies on the site are a lot more pleasant to have around than the majority of us guys…
dawn, carol, springboksarah, sharksgirl, treehugger, nikita… and anyone i’ve missed out… should be compelled to blog 24/7 to keep this ship on an even keel…
8 Jun 2012, 13:15 pm
I wonder what all these Sale supporters are doing here?
8 Jun 2012, 13:16 pm
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-285:
It was sharp indeed…
People always get bored before games… Let the games begin…
8 Jun 2012, 13:16 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-276: Bono became painful about 10 years ago already
8 Jun 2012, 13:17 pm
@FckU2(FckU2)-257:
You named the three worst offenders.
Now you can add vasteses.
Just for telling appalling jokes.
8 Jun 2012, 13:17 pm
@ufo(ufo)-277:
So how do you rate me? :nervous:
8 Jun 2012, 13:17 pm
@ufo(ufo)-289:
Helen! LOL
8 Jun 2012, 13:18 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-284: HEY! I am still in Natal
couldn’t handle the traffic in Gauteng! and where would I go on holiday if I lived in Cape Town?!
8 Jun 2012, 13:19 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-293: Speaking of which…
Eerste dag van universiteit spreek die rektor die eerstejaars toe: “Die meisieskoshuise is verbode terrein vir die mansstudente. As jy daar binne gevang word, is dit R50 boete vir die eerste oortreding. As jy weer gevang word R100, derde keer is dit R150, ensovoorts. Verstaan julle? Enige vrae?”
Stem van agter in saal: “Wat kos ‘n seisoenkaartjie?”
8 Jun 2012, 13:20 pm
@David(David)-290:
you shouldn’t laugh at your own jokes
8 Jun 2012, 13:20 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-286: I certainly hope so! I will be there have my green and gold all out and ready already
8 Jun 2012, 13:22 pm
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-291:
very excited.
9/1 odds on the irish to win seems a good bet? oz could flop again.
1.85/1 for the welsh and 0.33/1 for the boks.
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 [6] 7 8 9 10 11 … 13 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.