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Etzebeth picks the Lions locks he expects to face in July with the Springboks
Springboks talisman Eben Etzebeth has named the Lions locks he anticipates he will be facing during the three-game Test series which starts next July. The 29-year-old is currently sidelined because of a training ground finger injury picked up the other week at Toulon.
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However, he expects to be back in Top 14 action next month and will be primed for the challenge the Lions will present in what will be the first matches for South Africa since they won the 2019 World Cup final versus England. There is much speculation about the identity of the 36-strong squad Warren Gatland will name on May 6 for the tour that will commence with a June 26 pre-departure warm-up match versus Japan at Murrayfield.
Etzebeth has now joined in that speculation and named the three second rows he expects to line up in opposition against him and his South African teammates when the Test series kicks off on July 24. Appearing on the latest episode of The Rugby Pod, Etzebeth was asked whom he will likely play against at lock. He replied: “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 No5.
“Then No4 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.”
Asked specifically about the hype surrounding England forward Itoje, Etzebeth quipped, “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.
Episode 34 is now LIVE over on YouTube!
We catch up with World Cup winner and enforcer @EbenEtzebeth , take a look at Warren Gatland and his Lions coaching team and round up the latest Premiership action as well ?
— The Rugby Pod (@TheRugbyPod) April 20, 2021
“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.”
Reflecting on how the Springboks own lock stocks are shaping up ahead of the Lions, Etzebeth added: “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. 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.”
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"I’m constantly amazed and surprised by this fella"
– The de Jager attitude in the face of his latest injury adversity has known no bounds https://t.co/xjx3bSEq8R
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 21, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
A lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
1 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
2 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
2 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
21 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
21 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments