Boks boosted by Etzebeth prognosis
8 Aug 2012
Eben Etzebeth is likely to be available to play in the Springboks’ Rugby Championship opener against Argentina at Newlands next weekend.
Etzebeth is carrying a hip injury that was initially feared to be serious, but after consultation with a Johannesburg specialist on Tuesday those fears were allayed.
Etzebeth will undergo functional field testing on Monday after which a call on his readiness will be made. ‘Eben has responded very well to treatment thus far and we are confident that he will be available for the first Test against Argentina,’ team doctor Craig Roberts said.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer said: ‘Eben is an asset for South African and Western Province rugby. I have full confidence in our medical team and we will always put the player’s future welfare first when we make a final decision, but I’m happy that the news on Eben is good.’
Lions lock Franco van der Merwe and Toulon’s Bakkies Botha have been put on standby should Etzebeth fail to recover.
37 Comments
8 Aug 2012, 11:16 am
bring back bakkies
8 Aug 2012, 11:25 am
Thank goodness as the coach was going to bring back the past…
8 Aug 2012, 11:28 am
This youngster is taking knocks…. big and mean as he is…
What about a rest….. the season is murrrrrderrrrously long…….
8 Aug 2012, 11:28 am
Great news! ‘Great asset to WP rugby’:Just keep your dirty Blue hands off our star Heyneke!You have divided our proud rugby nation with your blatant and biased selection of Bulls players and promising young talent Bok selection if they move to the Bulls.
8 Aug 2012, 11:29 am
@Gumboots-2: Bakkies is not that old for a international lock – look at Brad Thorn imo a lesser species of Bakkies
8 Aug 2012, 11:31 am
Nice ! This is great news indeed !
8 Aug 2012, 11:33 am
@stew-5: Hey, you lot north of the boerewors curtain ran around wailing like primary school girls who had their hair pulled when John Smit hung around a bit too long.
Please live by your preachings when it comes to the ‘blue’ Oupas as well.
Bakkies was a great player in his prime, but I think Eben is the way of the future. The sooner we embrace that – the better.
8 Aug 2012, 11:35 am
Good news indeed. Bakkies was not the answer, and neither was Franco.
8 Aug 2012, 11:36 am
@stew-5:
agreed.
@Staal-3:
precisely why having bakkies around to help ease him in to the rigour of international rugby is a good idea
8 Aug 2012, 11:54 am
Bakkies could teach him some of his tricks
8 Aug 2012, 12:06 pm
@stew-5: Sorry to say , as much as I disliked the guy , Brad Thorn is no ways a lesser player than Bakkies.
Bakkies had one or two great seasons but he let it all go to his head and the day he could no longer bully anyone like the first time he played against Elksted for instance the aura that was Bakkies was diminished for ever.
Thorn was not only a great rugby player , he was a great athlete.
8 Aug 2012, 12:10 pm
they should rest eben completely… no boks no wp… no beach rugby… no nothing…
rest and recuperation till he is 100 percent and not dicing with fitness deadlines to make series or game…
8 Aug 2012, 12:12 pm
@Sharks were raped by the Chiefs-4: You and your fellow Stormers supporters are the only people dividing this nation not HM.
8 Aug 2012, 12:12 pm
@sparticus-11:
yeah… i really rate and respect brad thorne…
great player…
if eben can emulate brad thorne he’ll have a helluva career…
8 Aug 2012, 12:19 pm
we can only but hope that Esbeth doesn’t go the same route as every other half decent stormers lock.
who remembers Selbourne Boom? Another legend-not.
or ..wait for it…
the greathardman Quinton Davids…..and his infamous ruckbustercleans-not.
8 Aug 2012, 12:33 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-15:
agreed. But I feel Esbeth of making of a young Adri Geldenhuys (who was a SA Player of the Year in his first season of provincial rugby)
Esbeth reminds me more and more of Adri Geldenhuys verytime I see him play.
Adri never fulfilled his protential due to his small temper and short fuse. Esbeth
should exceed where adri could not.
8 Aug 2012, 13:24 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-15: Well Boome left rugby to further his studies and Career and to compare Etzebeth to THMQD is like comparing Spies to Zinzan Brooke.
8 Aug 2012, 13:24 pm
@greatest13gerber-16: HAHAHA Adri and Drikus Hattingh together must have been the worst tempered lock combination in world history!
8 Aug 2012, 14:32 pm
I was surprised that Heyneke would consider bringing Bakkies back.
If I remember correctly the initial prognoses on why Brussow was not suitable for Bok duty under Heyneke’s watch was that Heinrich was a penalty liability.
I would put Bakkies in very much the same category, even more so.
8 Aug 2012, 15:20 pm
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/7437138/Stephen-Jones-is-an-Olympic-Kiwi-baiting-champ
Interesting,this oke and pooper seems to be cut from the same cloth methinks…
8 Aug 2012, 15:45 pm
@RWC’11 was fixed-10:
@sparticus-11:
Bakkies has got no tricks. Just a straightforward vuilgat who wilted like steamed spinach whenever somebody stood up to him.
8 Aug 2012, 16:22 pm
Great news this. Now think we should beat Arg so if Eben needs another week for that injury to heal, then rest him this week. Play him the following week when we go to Arg. We NEED him more than ever 100% for when we play Oz and Nz, so really hoping we manage him well.
8 Aug 2012, 22:53 pm
@TooMuchRugby-21:
steamed spinach is what comes wilting out of your rear tunnel whenever you miner boy drills you too much and too deep…. gold ‘digger’..?.. or is it silver.. or bronze..?.. chop
8 Aug 2012, 22:54 pm
@wait for it, wait for it…-23:
whenever you = whenever your
8 Aug 2012, 23:00 pm
# 5….
Thorn more valuable rugby player than Bakkies over career span. As a “speciman”, will floor Bakkies within 30 secs
9 Aug 2012, 02:30 am
@sparticus-11: Bakkies was a better number 4 than Thorn, he could operate successfully in the lineout for a start. Thorn was more of a lock-blindside hybrid. Lesser player up for debate, lesser lock? definitely.
9 Aug 2012, 02:31 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-15: they’re gonna overplay and break the 20yr old Etzebeth before he even gets started
9 Aug 2012, 08:47 am
@26 Thorn had a long & highly successful career in rugby league. He switched codes twice in his career. He won titles in league & in union. His disciplinary record over such a long career is exemplary. And he was more agile & athletic than Bakkies. Bakkies’ “tough guy” antics maybe only worked in the currie cup
9 Aug 2012, 09:33 am
@viewer-28: you shouldn’t use Thorn and good disciplinary record in the same paragraph.
9 Aug 2012, 10:51 am
BIg Hit – It is going to become more of a problem trying manage these players correctly. The S15 to me has become a death trap, way too much rugby and travel for all the teams!! Players are already picking up big injuries which are keeping them for months!!
9 Aug 2012, 11:05 am
It’s become a huge problem. These money-grabbing administrators & TV-moguls need to have a good, long, honest look at their product – it’s slowly but surely killing interest worldwide, I think.
10 Aug 2012, 11:43 am
@Skeppie-18: Nope, Adri and Armand Du Preez was.
10 Aug 2012, 16:01 pm
Would somebody please answer this question(Coming soon)
A front row forward relies to a great extent on the shove coming from the lock
directly behind him.Brok was monstered by the Beast.
Who was the lock directly behind him in semifinal.?
If Etzebeth,then he is not the answer.
If Bekker,is he fully recovered from his back injury.?
I solemny affirm that this is posted from my own nic
10 Aug 2012, 16:15 pm
@ryecatcher-33: brok will get mangled regardless of who is behind him.
10 Aug 2012, 16:19 pm
Trans.Thanks.Maybe a rhetorical question.
11 Aug 2012, 10:17 am
33 solemnly
11 Aug 2012, 12:29 pm
Reach for your ’1-D’ glasses, guys. No, it’s not the movies. It’s…it’s……Heineke Meyer!!
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