Eben Etzebeth of South Africa runs with the ball during the Rugby World Cup 2019 Group B game between South Africa and Namibia at City of Toyota Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Four players who could replace Eben Etzebeth in the Bok squad
Rassie Erasmus probably already has a replacement in mind should he lose the services of Eben Etzebeth for the remainder of the World Cup but here are some options to be considered.
Eben Etzebeth of South Africa runs with the ball during the Rugby World Cup 2019 Group B game between South Africa and Namibia at City of Toyota Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Eben Etzebeth is undoubtedly the best lock in the Springbok squad at the moment but should he need to leave the squad Rassie Erasmus has several top performers he could call on to join the Rugby World Cup squad.
Etzebeth is set to be charged in the Equality Court on Friday and SA Rugby have launched their own investigation into the claims made against him.
The possible replacements for Eben Etzebeth
The Springboks could be forced to find a replacement for Etzebeth, who remains in the starting XV for Friday’s clash with Italy.
Here are four men who could be asked to fill Etzebeth’s enormous boots.
Marvin Orie – Lions
Marvin Orie is the most likely replacement for Etzebeth even if he rarely plays as a number 4. Orie was part of the Springboks training camps in 2019 and also the wider Rugby Championship squad.
He made an excellent start to the 2019 Super Rugby season, and although he faded a little as the tournament went on he appears to be a player that is in Rassie Erasmus’ long-term plans.
A Capetonian by birth Orie has made a name for himself on the Highveld, first with the Bulls and then with the Lions. He has always had to fight for his place in the team.
Read: Eben Etzebeth charged by the SAHRC
Orie made his Test debut against Wales in June 2018 and has played three times for the Springboks to date.
The concern for Erasmus might be that Orie’s prowess in the lineout is not on par with Etzebeth, though few men in the world can make that claim.
JD Schickerling – Stormers/WP
JD Schickerling has already had to overcome a lot in his rugby career having come back from a broken neck.
Schickerling remains uncapped but toured the Northern Hemisphere at the end of last season with the Springboks and is believed to be close to a breakthrough.
He has shown himself to be a versatile player willing to be deployed as a flank but doesn’t want to emulate Pieter-Steph Du Toit in making the switch to the side of the scrum.
Schickerling provides Erasmus with arguably his best lineout option in a replacement.
Jason Jenkins – Toyota Verblitz
Already plying his trade in Japan, Jason Jenkins made his Springbok debut in 2018 but has not been in the frame since.
It would be a bold move to use Jenkins given that he hasn’t played Super Rugby or Currie Cup this season making monitoring his relative form difficult.
At 23 Jenkins is still very young and has a lot to learn but Erasmus clearly saw something in him when he selected him to face Wales in the USA last year. An aggressive carrier of the ball and great lineout forward, Jenkins plays very much in the Blue Bulls style despite now turning out for Japanese club Toyota Verblitz.
JP Du Preez – Cheetahs
The Cheetahs giant would be a bit of a left-field pick given he hasn’t really established himself as the first choice in the Currie Cup.
Du Preez would be the tallest player at the Rugby World Cup if he joins the Springbok squad and gets on the park.
He is unlikely to feature for Erasmus’ Boks just yet and is currently battling for game-time behind Walt Steenkamp and Sintu Manjezi in the Guiness Pro14. In his favour is that he is currently match-fit and is frankly enormous. Despite his size, Du Preez shows a great deal of energy on defence and is a willing ball carrier.
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