Springboks coach confirms Eben Etzebeth’s status for All Blacks Test

Springboks assistant coach Mzwandile Stick has confirmed that Eben Etzebeth won’t be called into the starting side as a late change before Saturday’s clash with the All Blacks. Etzebeth will come off the bench, with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ruan Nortje starting in the second row.

All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor labelled Etzebeth a “warrior” after it was revealed the two-time Rugby World Cup winner would play this weekend. The lock was initially left out of the team due to an injury, but coach Rassie Erasmus kept the door open for a selection change.

On Wednesday, the Springboks announced that Etzebeth had been cleared to play after overcoming a niggly knee injury. Etzebeth replaced Marco van Staden in the reserves, with the 32-year-adding significant size, experience and power to the team’s well-known ‘bomb squad’.

Etzebeth has started the last 22 Tests between the Springboks and All Blacks, and while that streak will come to an end at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park, rugby fans in The Rainbow Nation will breathe a collective sigh of relief that he’s playing at all.

“No, we won’t change Eben. He’s on the bench,” Stick told reporters at the team’s hotel in Johannesburg on Friday afternoon.

“Listen, we’ve selected a strong team. If you look at a guy like Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ruan (Nortje), who’s actually now grabbing his opportunity with both hands. We were impressed with his performance against Australia, we know he’s got a massive work rate.

“Once again, the game against the All Blacks, you’re probably going to have to play until the last second of the game.

“Once again, to have guys like Eben and to look at the impact that we’ve looking for on the bench; guys like Kwagga (Smith). I think those are the guys that are needed for the impact, I think they should be able to bring that impact.

“We won’t make any changes. Pieter-Steph with Ruan, they will start the game for sure.”

At the time of writing, the Springboks’ team otherwise remains unchanged. Captain Siya Kolisi will lead a star-studded side that includes the likes of Ox Nche, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Jesse Kriel and Cheslin Kolbe.

South Africa have beaten their arch-rivals in the last two meetings between the proud rugby nations, including a record defeat for New Zealand at Twickenham just before last year’s Rugby World Cup. The Springboks, of course, went on to beat the Kiwis in the Final as well.

It seems the Springboks are on the cusp of an unusually impressive winning streak against the All Blacks. If they’re able to beat the visitors over the next week or so in Johannesburg and then Cape Town, their record will extend to four wins on the bounce.

But they’re not thinking about that – Kolisi made that clear at Friday’s captain’s run press conference. What happens next week and into the future is of no concern at the moment as the Boks ready themselves for a blockbuster bout at the cathedral of rugby that is Ellis Park.

“We’re motivated for tomorrow… we want to try to win tomorrow so that takes us closer to win the Freedom Cup, that’s all we’re thinking about,” the Springboks captain said.

“Tomorrow is a big game for us. I know a lot of people are saying they have a lot of motivation, we also have a lot of motivation – they’ve beaten us a lot of times. Some of us in this group have had a 57-nil defeat that we’ll never forget.

“Tomorrow is an important game for us and we have a lot to play for. That’s all we’ve been focused on is just tomorrow.”