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The Springboks prediction Bryan Habana has made about Eben Etzebeth

Eben Etzebeth takes the field in Brisbane last Saturday (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

Legendary Springboks winger Bryan Habana has made a record-breaking prediction about the Test-level career of Eben Etzebeth, his fellow South African. It was Tuesday when Rassie Erasmus unveiled a much-rotated Rugby Championship XV, making 10 changes for this Saturday’s second-round encounter with Australia in Perth.

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Among the alterations was naming Etzebeth, a second row starter last Saturday in his country’s 33-7 win over the Wallabies in Brisbane, on the bench as part of a reconfigured bomb squad with just five forwards and not the now-traditional six.

Despite only being selected as a replacement, the upcoming match at Optus Stadium will be a milestone occasion for Etzebeth, the 32-year-old first capped by the Springboks in 2012.

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Rassie Erasmus explains the reasoning behind making Salmaan Moerat captain of the Springbok team

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      Rassie Erasmus explains the reasoning behind making Salmaan Moerat captain of the Springbok team

      Etzebeth’s likely run off the bench will be his 124th cap for his country, drawing him level with Habana as South Africa’s second-most-capped player of all time, just three appearances behind the record holder Victor Matfield, who played 127 times.

      After spotting a message on X highlighting that Etzebeth will equal Habana’s 124 caps tally, the retired 41-year-old, who last played for South Africa in 2016, commented: “And he will go on to be the 1st Bok to 150 Tests as well…”

      If Etzebeth does make good Habana’s 150 prediction, it would make him the third most capped Test rugby player of all time, trailing only the 170-capped Alun Wyn Jones of Wales and the British and Irish Lions and Sam Whitelock, who called it quits after 153 appearances for the All Blacks.

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      J
      JW 1 hour ago
      Razor has an about turn on All Blacks eligibility rules

      Yep, another problem!


      I think he would have, in the instance I mentioned, which wasn’t changing anything other than correctly applying todays eligibility quidelines. Which is an arbitrary construct, as the deal likely would have played out completely differently, but I just ‘allowed’ him to have 1 year sabbatically for his ‘loyalty’, rather than having some arbitrary number like 70 caps required.


      So if Richie had a 3 year deal, and the first year he was allowed to use him still, I don’t think he’d really not transition to Dmac being his main 10, as he’s obviously the only one he can use for the following two years, therefore likely his only real option for the WC (very hard for Richie to overtake him in such a short time). Richie would purely be a security net in a situation like I proposition where there are only small changes to the eligibility.


      The system is not working well enough though, as we don’t have the Rugby Championship or World Cup trophies, do we? Well on that last question, that’s all I’m really saying but I would not believe a word this author says, so it’s entirely a ‘what if’ discussion, but if the author is right and now they are actually going to be more flexible, I think that’s great yeah. Ultimately thought I think those two players were an anomaly signing their contracts and futures up so far ahead, especially of when they were performing. Both jumped at the opportunity of good contracts when their All Black prospects weren’t looking that bright.

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