Eben Etzebeth will pass John Smit in the list of most Tests played for the Springboks on Saturday, 29 July at Ellis Park. Photo: SA Rugby website
Etzebeth to lead Springboks against All Blacks despite personal loss
Stand-in Springbok captain Eben Etzebeth has made the call to play against New Zealand in Auckland after his father’s passing.
Eben Etzebeth will pass John Smit in the list of most Tests played for the Springboks on Saturday, 29 July at Ellis Park. Photo: SA Rugby website
Eben Etzebeth has decided to fulfil his role as Springboks captain and play against the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship in Auckland on Saturday despite the death of his father.
Etzebeth’s father passed away on Tuesday, casting doubt on whether he would play in the Rugby Championship showdown or return home to support his family.
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Etzebeth took part in the captain’s run at Mount Smart Stadium on Friday morning, with Springboks media manager Zeena Isaacs confirming to AFP he would play.
A South African Rugby official had described Etzebeth as “extremely close” to his father, Harry.
Etzebeth is standing in as skipper, with the Springboks’ regular captain Siya Kolisi sidelined by a knee injury.
The match will be Etzebeth’s first since suffering a shoulder injury three months ago.
ALL BLACKS SYMPATHISE WITH EBEN ETZEBETH
“It’s been a pretty tough week for him and his family. As a team, we send our condolences to the Etzebeth family,” All Blacks captain Sam Cane told reporters.
“It must be pretty tough for him being on the other side of the world.
“We’ll see each other at the coin toss and then do battle on the field.”
CONFIRMED: Etzebeth set to play against All Blacks
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM LINEUPS:
All Blacks – 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Mark Telea, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith; 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane (c), 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Subs: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Nepo Laulala, 19 Tupou Vaa’i, 20 Dalton Papali’i, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Braydon Ennor, 23 Caleb Clarke.
Springboks – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth (c), 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 21 Duane Vermeulen, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok.
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SPRINGBOKS’ RECORD AGAINST NEW ZEALAND
Played 103; Won 38; Lost 61; Drawn 4; Points for: 1 674, Points against: 2 143; Tries scored 160, Tries conceded 234; Highest score 46-40; Biggest win 17 points. Win % 37%.
Milestones:
- Eben Etzebeth will captain the Springboks for the 13th time on Saturday. His last Test as captain was on 20 July 2019 against Australia at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg.
- Saturday’s clash will mark the 28th time Damian de Allende and Lukhanyo Am join forces in the Springbok midfield.
- The last time the Springboks suffered a defeat in New Zealand was in 2017. They beat the All Blacks 36-34 in 2018, while the sides played to a 16-16 draw in 2019.
Miscellaneous:
- The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 797.
- There are 320 caps in the backline, with 477 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further 280 caps.
- The average caps per player in the backline is 45, the forwards 59, while the players on the bench average 35.
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ETZEBETH IN ACTION IN THE RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP
