Eben Etzebeth

Springbok 2019 Rugby World Cup winner Eben Etzebeth has confirmed he will leave Top 14 club Toulon to return to SA at the end of the season. Photo: Adrian DENNIS / AFP

Eben Etzebeth predicts who he’ll face in British & Irish Lions second row

Eben Etzebeth has revealed the lock pairing he expects to start for the British & Irish Lions in the three-Test series against the Springboks.

Eben Etzebeth

Springbok 2019 Rugby World Cup winner Eben Etzebeth has confirmed he will leave Top 14 club Toulon to return to SA at the end of the season. Photo: Adrian DENNIS / AFP

Eben Etzebeth has revealed the lock pairing he expects to start for the British & Irish Lions in the three-Test series against the Springboks.

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The 29-year-old second-rower is currently nursing a finger injury but is expected to be fit in time for selection for the much-anticipated showdown with the British & Irish Lions.

British & Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has several options in the No 4 and 5 jerseys for their Tests against the Springboks.

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Speaking as a guest on the latest episode of The Rugby Pod, Eben Etzebeth weighed in on the topic, revealing who he believes is likely to crack the nod in the British & Irish Lions’ starting XV – as well as on the bench.

‘Probably Alun Wyn Jones. Warren Gatland, the coach, has coached Alun Wyn, who was captain of Wales for a long time, so I’m pretty sure he will be No 5,’ Eben Etzebeth said.

‘Then No 4 will probably be Maro Itoje, with a guy like James Ryan on the bench. It makes it easy for us to start looking at their locks.

‘It’s going to be a tough battle. There are some warm-up games for them and a few of their guys would want to play themselves into the squad, but for me at the moment it [selection] will probably go that way.’

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Eben Etzebeth, a veteran of 85 Tests for South Africa, was full of praise for Itoje.

‘What hype? He is a good player. I’ve watched him play, played against him a few times. He is a world class second-rower.

‘A good player and someone when you do your analysis you probably have to look at for an extra 30, 40 minutes because he gets around the park and has got a big work rate. There is big hype, as you said, but for me, he is a good player, a good lock and he is always good to play against.’

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Etzebeth added he was excited about the prospect of the second row battle in the Test series.

‘For us, if all goes well the same guys will be there that was at the World Cup, those four locks. Everyone will be ready,’ he said.

‘RG (Snyman) is back soon, back in training, and probably will have a game pretty soon. Franco Mostert never gets injured, he just keeps on going. And Lood (de Jager), he will definitely be there. He has had a couple of injuries where he has had to be back for important games and he never disappointed to make it back so he will also be there.’

The British & Irish Lions’ tour is expected to get under way on July 3 with the first Test scheduled for July 24.