The ruck incident which kicked off Etzebeth and Itoje skirmish

Slow motion pictures from South Africa’s mauling of England during their Autumn Nations Series clash on the weekend appear to capture the moment that sparked a bit of biff between Eben Etzebeth and Maro Itoje.

The rivalry between these two world-class locks has been a talking point for several years, with the Rugby World Cup final in 2019 and last year’s British & Irish Lions tour providing flash points for the simmering head-to-head, which has become one of the most entertaining sub-plots of Springboks versus England matches.

There was another flashpoint on Saturday, with the pair getting into it following a ruck in the 41st minute.

Eben and Maro are at it again ? #ENGvRSA pic.twitter.com/cJvQtQoWX7

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 26, 2022

It wasn’t initially clear what kicked off this incident but a frame-by-frame of the ruck appears to paint a better picture of what happened.

Etzebeth can be seen stepping over the ruck and placing his foot either directly onto Itoje or very close to him. Whether it was deliberate in a ‘by accident on purpose’ sort of way or if a genuine mistake from the Springbok great isn’t clear.

Itoje certainly took exception to it, grabbing the South African by the leg on his past, with a bit of handbags to follow.

Another interpretation of the incident is that Itoje – who is known for his gamesmanship around the breakdown – took an opportunity to grab onto the leg of the passing Etzebeth.

The ruck incident from Etzebeth that set Itoje off. ? #ENGvRSA pic.twitter.com/gr8elIlRh5

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 28, 2022

While no harm was done to either side – with Angus Gardner branding a ‘push and a shove’ –  it was an entertaining aside for fans to get stuck into online.

The giant 6’7, 118kg South African seems to be winning this personal battle at the moment, on the scoreboard at the very least. The Shark leads 4-2 in terms of Tests played between the pair since the 2019 Rugby World Cup final in Yokohama.

In truth Etzebeth’s form in 2022 has been several rungs above Itoje, who hasn’t quite hit the heights he’s capable of this calendar year, albeit in the context of a misfiring England squad.