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'100 caps… 1 incident': Bok great Bryan Habana condemns Etzebeth's act but defends player
By Ben Smith
The Springboks finished their 2025 season with a resounding 73-0 win over Wales but a 78th minute incident with Eben Etzebeth overshadowed the dominant victory.
The Test centurion came into the game off the bench and was involved in a scuffle which saw the lock red carded for eye gouging after a review of the footage from the TMO.
Ex-Bok and legendary winger Bryan Habana weighed in on the incident, condemning Etzebeth’s actions on a post on X. Habana predicted his former team mate would spend a lengthy amount of time.
“I’ve just seen the Springboks score line but more so the incident with Eben… as great a player and person as he is, there’s no room for that in the game… Justified red card and should be facing a lengthy time on the sidelines…”
Also.. I’ve just seen the @Springboks score line but more so the incident with Eben… as great a player and person as he is, there’s no room for that in the game… Justified red card and should be facing a lengthy time on the sidelines…
— Bryan Habana (@BryanHabana) November 29, 2025
The incident was met with widespread condemnation from fans and players alike. After heated debate with fans, Habana defended Etzebeth as a player, arguing this doesn’t detract from his standing within the game.
One fan said “That act demands a reassessment of any perceived greatness. Always been worried about Eben’s self-control when that red mist descends. And now he has this permanent, glaring stain on his record.”
“I disagree with you about a reassessment of any perceived greatness,” Habana responded.
“He has not only been the ultimate professional, hardest worker and team man but he has become SA’s most capped player because of how great he is…
“Multiple SA rugby player of the year awards. He should have, in my opinion won a World Player of the year award. Two rugby World Cups behind his name.. The youngest player to reach 100 caps… 1 incident, as bad as it is, should not take away how influential a player he is.”
Head coach Rassie Erasmus was blunt about the incident, saying the “optics weren’t great”.
“I don’t know what I can say that isn’t controversial. It didn’t look good,” he told media.
“It was a justified red card. It’s definitely not the way we’d have liked to have ended the game. The optics weren’t great.”
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