Europe key in Etzebeth’s education
5 Nov 2012
RYAN VREDE, in Dublin with the Boks, speaks to Bok coach Heyneke Meyer and Rassie Erasmus about Eben Etzebeth.
Meyer and Erasmus agree the challenges Etzebeth will face on the Springboks’ European tour will refine him and elevate him to a new level of potency.
Others have struggled to make it out of the shadow of recently departed Springbok legends – Andries Bekker continues to be haunted by Victor Matfield’s legacy, Francois Hougaard has been frustratingly slow in filling the void left by Fourie du Preez – but Etzebeth has established himself as a prototype, not a surrogate for Bakkies Botha.
Having won the Players Player of the Year and Forward of the Year at the recent Western Province awards, the 21-year-old went on to scoop the Young Player of the Year at the SA Rugby awards last week, only being denied the top prize by Bryan Habana’s throwback season. In his rookie year he has established himself as one of the best in his position. Some would argue that he is indeed the pre-eminent No 4 in the game.
Etzebeth is, however, still undoubtedly raw, but former Springbok flank Erasmus, who now performs the dual role of SA Rugby’s general manager of high performance and technical analyst for the Springboks, asserts that his growth will be aided by unique tests in the next three weeks against Ireland, Scotland and England.
‘The northern hemisphere tour will be a little out of his comfort zone,’ Erasmus told keo.co.za. ‘There is a massive emphasis on set phases, which isn’t the case in Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship. Some of the toughest Tests I’ve played were against Ireland. That match in particular will be good for him, simply because of how confrontational they will be.
‘How he responds there will tell us a lot about this kid. He has already dealt with everything that has been thrown at him like a seasoned pro. This tour will make him even better.’
Meyer has been lavish in his praise of Etzebeth, recently suggesting that his presence precludes Botha from selection in the squad (he explained Botha wouldn’t start ahead of him and is not an impact player). In informal discussions with me Meyer has noted that Etzebeth emphatically meets all his criteria of a great Test player – power, speed, size, position specific skill, mental strength and coachability – and believes his form has been central to the success of a young pack.
Meyer wishes he could have more time with the young second rower.
‘I’d be desperate to have him every day in order to help him grow technically and mentally,’ he said. ‘I’ve effectively only been with him for nine weeks and in that time there has been limited personal interaction with him.
‘Eben was the Man of the Match in the Currie Cup final and most of that has to do with his lineout competing, which has gone to another level. Taking nothing away from the Western Province coaches, we’ve worked bloody hard on that area of his game. If he can make those gains in nine weeks, imagine what he can achieve in more time in the national group. He is an example of why I’m pushing hard for more time with the squad. The All Blacks’ players benefit a lot from their [central contracts] system.
‘But Eben still has some way to go in his game. No player of his quality has ever gone to Europe and not benefited. I don’t have any questions about his mental or technical ability, and I’m looking forward to the fruits of this tour for Eben.’
Erasmus cautioned Etzebeth against complacency, imploring him to remain focused and honest in his self-appraisal.
‘The challenge for him is to stay grounded. The moment you start believing good or bad press you lose focus. When you base your assessment of your game on what others are saying, and don’t personally recognise your weaknesses and address them, you are going to have a problem,’ he said.
‘I went through that and made those mistakes. He probably will too, which is not a bad thing provided he takes the lessons from that experience.’
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40 Comments
5 Nov 2012, 05:21 am
Mean Dragon!
5 Nov 2012, 05:59 am
Will be interesting to see what happens at Murrayfield? The Scots have a young 2nd row called Richie Grey, who is an absolute monster like Etzabeth and fantastic around the park as well as brilliant in the lineout. Probably the 2 most exciting young 2nd rows in the world by some distance. If an arctic storm is blowing, tempretures are freezing. It will be an incredible experience for Eben. The Scots have ambushed quite a few teams over the years using the miserable weather to their advantage!
5 Nov 2012, 06:10 am
@HongKongSlong-2:
Retallick outplayed Estebeth at Soccer City and has a Super Title under his belt, the premier young lock in the game.
5 Nov 2012, 06:29 am
It’s interesting that HM believes that he can do a better job with Etsebeth than the WP/Stormers coaches have done. HM needs to forget about developing players to his way and concentrate rather on utilising what they’ve got in his overall game plan.
5 Nov 2012, 06:40 am
@Te Rangatira-3: Forgot about him, he;s very good too. But I don’t really see him starring so much for his team or country in the way the other 2 do, although this may be due to game plans. Call them the 3 most exciting young locks in the game today then!
5 Nov 2012, 06:42 am
@David-4: Sound like a not so very subtle hint to get to the Blue Bulls!
5 Nov 2012, 06:49 am
@HongKongSlong-6:
Seriously, though. HM must realise that as national coach, he never will have the players long enough to develop them. His job is to utilise what’s available from the franchises.
5 Nov 2012, 07:00 am
@David-7: Yes totally. I’m convinced he’s a great club coach, but not convinced he’s a great international coach. He has his plan and shapes the players into it, with very little need to react or change, but internationally you don’t have the time to do this.
5 Nov 2012, 07:11 am
@David-4:
Feigning ignorance does not turn away the finger pointing at you even if you unusually swear in the process.
Your “thanks” to the promise of an email from a pandering, ‘gatkruiper’, dithering misfit confirms you belong to at least one conspiratorial email clique.
An unbiased, independent individual will not be in touch here with a person he has never met.
The ‘skinderbekkie’ part refers to your running like a washerwoman with wet thighs to RT untold times only to report back here little scandalous titbits on 2 former posters here. Who can be more ‘skelm’ than an Englishman?
Anyway I have a cool drive to work to effect so swear to your heart’s delight. I swear I will not hear.
5 Nov 2012, 07:18 am
5 Nov 2012, 07:57 am
Vrede, put that Guinness down. Bekker is not haunted by Victor’s legacy – he has been overplayed and prone to injury. He would be playing exactly the same way if Victor had never existed. You are confusing the Boks with the cast of “A Christmas Carol”.
5 Nov 2012, 08:03 am
@Mostofyou-9: They say a million ******* typing randomly for a million years might produce a play worthy of Shakespeare. What you have posted must be their first draft.
5 Nov 2012, 08:06 am
Eben was not man of the match in the final…
Either Ryan or Heyneke or both need to make sure they at least have their facts straight on the players.
5 Nov 2012, 08:06 am
@Te Rangatira-3:
Blah
He looks about 40
5 Nov 2012, 08:07 am
@Mostofyou-9:
What?
5 Nov 2012, 08:12 am
Eben v Europe. Who will educate who? 3 weeks to find out. Can’t wait!
5 Nov 2012, 08:12 am
hope coenie can doodpoes LIAM DEL CARME!!! what a cnut!
5 Nov 2012, 08:21 am
@suffer_guy-17:
Liam is not a player.
5 Nov 2012, 08:28 am
@Dawn-14:
From the side view he looks around 36…….still too young for you.
5 Nov 2012, 08:46 am
@running scrummy-13: He was the most influencial player of Wp in cc final , Stinkstert just gave the award to Fourie , but Eben was better.
@HongKongSlong-6: HM has nothing to do with Bulls anymore.
5 Nov 2012, 10:20 am
He wukk be just fine in Europe.
Utmost faith in this youngster…just wish he would default to the Sharks!-)
5 Nov 2012, 10:33 am
@capebull-20: Wasn’t it HM who famously stated “Once a Bull always a Bull!”
5 Nov 2012, 10:42 am
@Superbru-22: Once a Bull sh y tter always a Bull sh y tter….I trust the man as far as I can throw him.
And surprise surprise, Meyer trying to take credit for Etsebeth’s form…. His ego is as big as the hangover I nursed after the CC final.
5 Nov 2012, 10:44 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-23:
5 Nov 2012, 10:48 am
“Taking nothing away from the Western Province coaches, we’ve worked bloody hard on that area of his game. If he can make those gains in nine weeks, imagine what he can achieve in more time in the national group.”
Thanks for doing the “real coaching” while our provincial coaches just fill the gaps. We are forever indebted to you and your methods which were delivered in all of just nine weeks. As sarcastic as this sounds I am not doubting that HM and his team had a truly positive effect on Eben’s game. He just could have said that without making the WP coaches look like amateurs. He keeps trying to put himself inside of every Bok player’s success…even at provincial level??? I think this may do more harm than good if he keeps up with it.
5 Nov 2012, 10:56 am
@Smallzm-25: Meyer and his ego tried to take credit for Lambie’s improvement in the tactical kicking department as well……
This twat seems to think that by taking credit for every player’s great form will endear him to the fans….Not fooling me one fuckingiota.
How I wish he would take credit for the dumbfucks who are NOT in form……somehow doubt it though.
5 Nov 2012, 11:01 am
Meyer again shwoing his massive ego, the tool. Taking credit for Etzebeth’s lineout work and performance in the final. Just like it was apparently HIS coaching that helped Lambie improve his tactical kicking (there was a difference?)
If you see this immenesly talented Bok team eventually get a good run of form going you can expect his ego to blow up again.
WP have done perfectly fine in handling him. In fact his performances at test level have been relatively average compared to his domestic form. I’d prefer he spent less time with HM actually, not more.
5 Nov 2012, 11:04 am
Haha, didn’t see his ego’s already been mentioned. Can’t wait to see what else he tries to take credit for in the future…
5 Nov 2012, 11:10 am
@silent_shadow-28: There is more than enough of Heyneke’s EGO to go round
You and I (and about 500 others) can all post about that ‘ego’ and we won’t even have scratched the surface.
5 Nov 2012, 11:37 am
i see the Alpen and Tork Craft power tools and accesories being advertised on this site are quite fitting.
there’s a lot of tools about.
5 Nov 2012, 11:51 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-30: Now now Bakkies
Not all who find fault with the Meyers ego are tools.
5 Nov 2012, 12:36 pm
“Taking nothing away from the Western Province coaches, we’ve worked bloody hard on that area of his game. If he can make those gains in nine weeks, imagine what he can achieve in more time in the national group.”
First it was Habana, now Etzebeth that Meyer coached into form.
What the hell are Toetie, Fleckie and Nienaber doing down in Cape Town? If Meyer can do his thing with the limited time he has with these players, why do we even need full time coaches in WP. No wonder they did not get the Coach of the Year award. meyer has been doing all the work all along.
Heil Meyer…the real WP coach.
Vokken egoistiese dom etter.
5 Nov 2012, 13:01 pm
@nama1-32: Has Meyer taken credit for Habana as well?
Think we can build up a nice collection of Heynecke quotes like we did with Snor. Not as entertaining, much like Heynecke, but the ego can make up for it.
5 Nov 2012, 13:10 pm
Maybe we should put together of some of the stupid things Meyer said during his tenure as coach so far. Call it Meyerisms.
His claims that he coached Habana back to form, helped Lambie to improve his tactical kicking and now his claim that he was responsible for Etzebeth’s dominant form in the line outs in the CC final is but three examples of Meyerisms.
Then there is the “young players with no experience playing a test in this kind of weather.” (after the PE test and also the “young players with no experience playing a test away from home.” (after the draw against Argintina.
All bullshitting Meyerisms.
5 Nov 2012, 13:14 pm
@silent_shadow-33:
I guarantee you I have not refreshed before I put on my comment at p.33.
Yes, I think we should go back into the archives and look up all his stupid utterences.
5 Nov 2012, 17:15 pm
Heyneke taking the credit for Etzebeth’s performance in the final haha what a joke. Andries Bekker has been a greater influence than anyone in the current Bok setup.
5 Nov 2012, 18:19 pm
Headline should read “Etzebeth to educate Europe”
Vat hom Ysterrrrrrrrr!
5 Nov 2012, 18:20 pm
@wp_boytjie-36: Ja! What a laugh! Although – the more practise he gets, with different hookers and lifters, the better
5 Nov 2012, 19:49 pm
I like the expression “meyerism”
8 Nov 2012, 13:15 pm
Before Ryan et al begin ‘cutting and pasting’, the following piece appeared in this morning’s ‘IrishTimes’. Enjoy.
TOUGH ENFORCER FAST-TRACKED INTO THE TEST SCENE
Gavin Cummiskey —- Thu, Nov 08, 2012
South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth during the squad’s training session at Blackrock College yesterday. photograph: Morgan Treacy/inpho
RUGBY : Bakkies Botha, perhaps the ultimate rugby gladiator, has departed the Test arena for Toulon but the tradition of Springbok enforcers wearing the number four jersey never missed a beat.
The nephew of Cliffie and Skattie Etzebeth, feared bar-room brawlers from the rough northern Cape Town suburb of Parow, has seen to that.
Meet Eben Etzebeth; the 21-year-old kid with a potentially perfect mixture of talent and agility and aggression.
The youtube collection is already growing for the latest gargantuan lock offered up by South African rugby.
Despite only graduating from the under-20 ranks this season – he faced Ireland twice during last year’s Junior World Cup – Etzebeth immediately went about tearing down the pillars of both Wallaby pack and South African scrum. And anyone else who looked at him sideways.
Household name status was achieved during last July’s Super Rugby semi-final between his beloved Stormers and the Sharks. Etzebeth received possession at first receiver in an upright position, therefore unable to build up a head of steam before Bismarck du Plessis thundered into him.
The world’s greatest hooker was knocked unconscious in the collision. It took another few metres before Bismarck’s brother Jannie and Willem Alberts – both starting forwards this Saturday – hauled him to ground.
The stadium and Stormers bench rose in unison as if celebrating victory. The reverberation was felt around the rugby world. “In South Africa people still talk about that but, I mean, that is how I like to play. I like running with the ball, it is always nice if you hand off another player.”
The retirement of legendary locking pair Victor Matfield and Botha, coupled with injury to Andries Bekker, his “mentor” at Western Province, saw him fast-tracked into the Test team for this year’s Rugby Championship.
Against Australia he went straight after centurion lock Nathan Sharpe, subsequently receiving a two-week suspension for head-butting that denied him a shot at the All Blacks in New Zealand.
It also prompted a dressing down from head coach Heyneke Meyer, but the man who coached Botha at the Blue Bulls was surely thinking one word during the lecture. Eureka! “Ya, he told me I mustn’t to it (again) otherwise I am going to get a bad reputation. I think what he did was the right thing but he always supports me and still backs me. I thank him for that.” So you learnt your lesson? “Ya, for sure. I won’t do it again!”
We tentatively asked about becoming the Springbok enforcer, about stepping into the role of intimidating opponents, which Botha happily embraced for nine long years. The answer was refreshingly blunt. “In South Africa if you play with the number four on your back it is your role to be an enforcer and try to influence play by hitting rucks and making big tackles. I know the responsibility of that.” So you like to let the opposition know you are there? “Ya, that is part of wearing number four.”
Warning has been served to Donnacha Ryan and whoever else wants a piece of him.
We ask about interests outside of rugby and he informs us rugby is everything. We ask about Cliffie and Skattie. “One of them (Cliffie) played for Western Province from 77 to 81 and they also played club rugby in Cape Town.”
There’s buckets of stories about the uncles late night activity. Here’s one. The famous South African administrator Danie “Doc” Craven asked Cliffie to “look after” former Springbok captain Morné du Plessis the night after he concussed famous outhalf Naas Botha with a late tackle during a provincial scrap at Loftus Versfeld. Cliffie grabbed two fellow beasts from the Western Province pack and armed with a few cases of beer sat guard in the hotel corridor outside Morné’s room.
“My family where they grew up they had quite tough love. I think my parents always wanted the best for me. They were never actually that tough on me but it was probably just in the blood, the toughness.”
Eben Etzebeth: Factfile
Height: 2.03 / 6ft 8ins
Weight: 117kg / 18 stone 6 lb
Born: October 29th, 1991 (just turned 21)
Provincial – 3
Caps: Super Rugby – 8
International caps – 13
© 2012 The Irish Times
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