Giant Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth is primed for a bone-jarring confrontation against an Irish outfit who are hell-bent on making rugby history in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Etzebeth, one of the enforcers in the Bok line-up, knows it will be a crunch showdown where nothing will be left out on the field after 80 minutes at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
“Now we can win the series,” Etzebeth, who weighs a hefty 123kg, said ahead of the winners-takes-all clash after the Boks beat Ireland 32-26 in Johannesburg.
“It’s 1-1 and it is all to play for this weekend. When we play for South Africa we want to win every Test match and I am really looking forward to this game.
“In the last 20 minutes in Johannesburg I think a few guys stuck up their hands and the whole leadership group stood up and things worked out.
“Now we must front up again and the guys will be ready this week. We are expecting more of the same. Now we have a game on our hands to clinch the series,” said Etzebeth.
“I still approach every Test match as the most important game of my life, so it is a big honour to play for the Boks whether you have one cap or 50 caps.”
The 2.04m tall lock said the Boks would reset and begin all over again in Port Elizabeth after the Johannesburg victory.
“We start on nil and we want to build another innings on Saturday and start all over again. We want to play great, great Springbok rugby this weekend.”
The 24-year-old, who has 46 Test caps, says he does not feel added responsibility now that he is one of the senior players in the team.
Etzebeth was called up to the Springbok squad for the first time by former head coach Heyneke Meyer ahead of the three-match series against England in June 2012.
Since then the imposing lock has been a regular figure in the green and gold.
“I am still looking up to senior players like captain Adriaan Strauss and JP Pietersen and other experienced players. I just want to do my job in the team and concentrate on my role.
“In the Johannesburg Test, our coach Allister Coetzee was calm at halftime and he gave us the right message.”
The Bok lock says lots of hard work lay ahead of the team before Saturday’s clash.
“In the first half there were lots of unforced errors and we got to their line and knocked a few balls on and things didn’t go our way.
“I think our captain Adriaan Strauss was exceptional, especially at halftime, when he spoke and said we must stick to our gameplan and things will work.
“There are still some key areas we must work on in the scrums and also the lineouts. The Irish are a very good setpiece team and their mauling and lineouts are also good.”
Despite being 16 points behind at the break in Johannesburg Bok captain Strauss said he was never worried about the outcome.
“The team created a lot of opportunities that we could just not finish. We need to get that ruthless mind-set to get points on the board. There is still a lot to work on.
“We will have a hard look at ourselves this week and we will be better in Port Elizabeth,” Strauss promised.
Bok enforcer aims to hand Irish black eye
Etzebeth, one of the enforcers in the Bok line-up, knows it will be a crunch showdown where nothing will be left out on the field after 80 minutes at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
“Now we can win the series,” Etzebeth, who weighs a hefty 123kg, said ahead of the winners-takes-all clash after the Boks beat Ireland 32-26 in Johannesburg.
“It’s 1-1 and it is all to play for this weekend. When we play for South Africa we want to win every Test match and I am really looking forward to this game.
“In the last 20 minutes in Johannesburg I think a few guys stuck up their hands and the whole leadership group stood up and things worked out.
“Now we must front up again and the guys will be ready this week. We are expecting more of the same. Now we have a game on our hands to clinch the series,” said Etzebeth.
“I still approach every Test match as the most important game of my life, so it is a big honour to play for the Boks whether you have one cap or 50 caps.”
The 2.04m tall lock said the Boks would reset and begin all over again in Port Elizabeth after the Johannesburg victory.
“We start on nil and we want to build another innings on Saturday and start all over again. We want to play great, great Springbok rugby this weekend.”
The 24-year-old, who has 46 Test caps, says he does not feel added responsibility now that he is one of the senior players in the team.
Etzebeth was called up to the Springbok squad for the first time by former head coach Heyneke Meyer ahead of the three-match series against England in June 2012.
Since then the imposing lock has been a regular figure in the green and gold.
“I am still looking up to senior players like captain Adriaan Strauss and JP Pietersen and other experienced players. I just want to do my job in the team and concentrate on my role.
“In the Johannesburg Test, our coach Allister Coetzee was calm at halftime and he gave us the right message.”
The Bok lock says lots of hard work lay ahead of the team before Saturday’s clash.
“In the first half there were lots of unforced errors and we got to their line and knocked a few balls on and things didn’t go our way.
“I think our captain Adriaan Strauss was exceptional, especially at halftime, when he spoke and said we must stick to our gameplan and things will work.
“There are still some key areas we must work on in the scrums and also the lineouts. The Irish are a very good setpiece team and their mauling and lineouts are also good.”
Despite being 16 points behind at the break in Johannesburg Bok captain Strauss said he was never worried about the outcome.
“The team created a lot of opportunities that we could just not finish. We need to get that ruthless mind-set to get points on the board. There is still a lot to work on.
“We will have a hard look at ourselves this week and we will be better in Port Elizabeth,” Strauss promised.
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