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Etzebeth est « le meilleur Bok de tous les temps » selon Matfield

Eben Etzebeth s'échauffe avant le match du Rugby Championship entre l'Afrique du Sud et la Nouvelle-Zélande au stade Ellis Park de Johannesburg, le 31 août 2024. (Photo PHILL MAGAKOE / AFP)

Eben Etzebeth égalera le record de 127 sélections avec l’Afrique du Sud détenu par Victor Matfield s’il entre en jeu samedi, le deuxième ligne étant remplaçant dans la liste des 23 Springboks qui affronteront l’Argentine en Rugby Championship.

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S’il joue samedi à Santiago del Estero lors de la 5e journée, Etzebeth pourrait ensuite dépasser le deuxième ligne retraité Victor Matfield en cas de nouvelle sélection le 28 septembre contre l’Argentine en Afrique du Sud.

Le probable futur ex détenteur du record a d’ailleurs rendu un hommage appuyé au joueurs des Sharks : « Je ne pense pas qu’il y ait un meilleur candidat » pour battre le record de capes, a estimé Matfield auprès du journal sud-africain Rapport.

« Eben sera certainement considéré un jour comme l’un des tout meilleurs Boks de l’histoire, si ce n’est le meilleur.

« Il réalise une carrière incroyable, il a déjà gagné deux Coupes du Monde. Il a été nommé joueur sud-africain de l’année. Il peut atteindre 150 sélections. C’était un privilège de disputer quelques-uns de ces premiers test-matchs à ses côtés.

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« C’est un honneur pour moi que le meilleur Bok de tous les temps me détrône, et comme ça le record restera la propriété des deuxièmes lignes ! », s’enthousiasme l’ancien Toulonnais, 47 ans aujourd’hui.

Les champions du monde sud-africains peuvent être titrés dès samedi. Ils ont besoin de trois points lors des deux matches contre l’Argentine pour remporter le championnat de l’hémisphère sud pour la deuxième fois seulement en 12 tentatives (depuis 2012 et l’arrivée de l’Argentine dans la compétition, avec une non-participation en 2020).

Rencontre
Rugby Championship
Argentina
29 - 28
Temps complet
South Africa
Toutes les stats et les données

Le sélectionneur Rassie Erasmus a effectué dix changements par rapport à l’équipe qui avait débuté lors de la victoire 18-12 sur la Nouvelle-Zélande au Cap il y a deux semaines.

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Les Springboks ont laissé sept des titulaires du Cap au repos alors que le demi de mêlée Grant Williams a lui déclaré forfait en raison d’une blessure à un bras.

Le capitaine Siya Kolisi n’a pas été retenu malgré sa présence en Amérique du Sud. Il devait être opéré d’une fracture du nez après le dernier match, mais un responsable de la fédération a déclaré à l’AFP que l’opération avait été reportée, sans donner plus de détails.

L’Argentine, qui a écrasé l’Australie 67-27 lors du dernier match et occupe la deuxième place du classement, à huit points de l’Afrique du Sud, désignera son équipe jeudi.

Rugby Championship

P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
South Africa
4
4
0
0
18
2
Argentina
4
2
2
0
10
3
New Zealand
4
1
3
0
7
4
Australia
4
1
3
0
4

Afrique du Sud

XV de départ : Fassi – Arendse, Kriel, Am, Mapimpi – Pollard (o), Reinach (m) – Wiese, Dixon, van Staden – Nortje, Moerat (cap.) – du Toit, Marx, Nche.

Remplaçants : Wessels, Steenekamp, Koch, Etzebeth, Louw, Smith, Hendrikse, Libbok.

Visionnez gratuitement le documentaire en cinq épisodes “Chasing the Sun 2” sur RugbyPass TV (*non disponible en Afrique), qui raconte le parcours des Springboks dans leur quête pour défendre avec succès leur titre de Champions du monde de rugby

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J
JW 59 minutes ago
Why NZR's Ineos settlement may be the most important victory they'll enjoy this year

It really all depends of how much overseas players would be paid (by NZR) to play for the All Blacks. I’ve not heard a peep on this front from any author suggesting it’s a good idea.


If it’s nothing (a player gets his weekly paycheck from the club and thats it (which we know is definitely not the case in Ireland and France, or SA even I think?), then maybe it would retain more SR level players given that they’ll be getting the “AB” component (which is about where things stand, Burke for instance would have had to had his Sader contract upgraded to an AB one (think above Pero levels) to be on similar money.


I’d having to imagine if a player is getting paid to do nothing over the international windows though, they are going to want to get paid extra for appear for the ABs, so in this situation, it’s hard to see many players being retained, yes.


I’m pretty sure they flew to Japan and met in person.


I’ve heard/had these discussions numerous times. I don’t think theres anyway to judge the interest that would be retain in SR. For one, it might be a more entertaining league as a result, as the JRLO is compared to Europe, despite it obviously being a lesser standard.


If SRP is of a lesser standard and now able to use Japanese and American players to bolster teams, perhaps those markets more than make up for the downturn in NZ and Aus? Perhaps it gives NZR flexibility to create a more fit for purpose interdomestic competition, and interest actually increases? All you might need is a proper pathway from school to pro?


Razor asked NZR to keep an open mind. Did NZR answer any of these questions to themself?

23 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

Yeah of course it can be, it manages a good commerical outcome when 100 million people are following it. I’m saying rugby is no where near even remotely close to getting the payoff you’re talking about, never mind the distinct lack of anyway to implement it.


So you’re going for the dirty approach. I’m not surprised, it’s the only way to easily implement it right now. I wouldn’t see the benefit to doing that myself. A draft, if purely feasible in it’s own right, doesn’t need to provide commercial benefit at all (if it works, that’s all it needs to do, as it no doubt did back in america’s heyday). But without the advantageous backing of sponsors and interest levels, if you pick the wrong method to implement it, like a dirty approach, you do potential harm to it’s acceptance.


The aspect’s of the approach you chose that I don’t like, is that the franchises are the ones spending the money of the U20’s only for there opposition to get first dibs. Personally, I would much prefer an investment into a proper pathway (which I can’t really see SR U20s being at all in anycase). I’m not exactly sure how the draft works in america, but I’m pretty sure it’s something like ‘anyone whishing to be pro has to sign for the draft’, and results in maybe 10 or 20% of those being drafted. The rest (that accumulative 80/90% year on year) do go back into club, pronvincial, or whatever they have there, and remain scouted and options to bring in on immediate notice for cover etc. You yes, you draw on everybody, but what is generating your interest in the drafties in the first plaec?


This is your missing peace. If some come through school and into the acadamies, which would be most, you’ve currently got three years of not seeing those players after they leave school. Those that miss and come in through club, maybe the second year theyre in the draft or whatever, aged 20/21, you’re going to have no clue how they’ve been playing. NPC is a high level, so any that are good enough to play that would already be drafted, but some late bloomers you might see come in NPC but then Sky’s not going to broadcast that anymore. So what’s generating this massive interest you’re talking about, and most importantly, how does it tie in with the other 7 clubs that will be drafting (and providing) players outside of NZ?


Is the next step to pump tens of millions into SRP U20s? That would be a good start for investment in the youth (to get onto international levels of pathway development) in the first place but are fans going to be interested to the same level as what happens in america? Baseball, as mentioned, has the minor leagues, if we use that model it hasn’t to be broad over the whole pacific, because you’re not having one draft right, they all have to play against each other. So here they get drafted young and sent out into a lower level thats more expansive that SR, is there interest in that? There would be for large parts, but how financially viable would it be. Twiggy tried to get a league started and NPC clubs joined. BOP and Taranaki want SR representation, do we have a mix of the biggest clubs and provinces/states make a couple of divisions? I think that is far more likely to fan interest and commerical capabilities than an U20 of the SR teams. Or ofc Uni fits a lot of options. I’ve not really read anything that has tried to nut out the feasability of a draft, it can certainly work if this spitballing is anything to go by, but I think first theres got to be a need for it far above just being a drafting level.

36 Go to comments
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LONG READ No definites, but which Wales players could still make Lions squad? No definites, but which Wales players could still make Lions squad?
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