Eben eyes game time, but injury a concern
EBEN ETZEBETHdoesn’t come across as a man who normally thinks much further than the next breakdown battle. This isn’t a normal rugby year, with the World Cup set to get under way in September, and Etzebeth may have self-preservation on his mind for the first time in his professional career.
The abrasive second-row forward, pictured right, burst on to the scene in 2012 as a fearless combatant with an insatiable appetite for the rough stuff.
But long-term injury lay-offs, and the proximity of what is likely to be Etzebeth’s first World Cup appearance, may distract the Stormers’ tall timber from the now.
The Springboks take on Japan in their World Cup-opener in less than six months, which means that a severe injury would seriously jeopardise his hopes of lacing up his size 13s for duty at the showpiece event.
As far as the Stormers are concerned, they need Etzebeth to return to his ferocious best when they square up against the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday (kick-off 8.35am).
The after-effects of the first loss of the season, a bye week, the travel factor, and the withdrawal of captain Duane Vermeulen – in accordance with the programme to rest key Boks for the World Cup – has stirred up some apprehension leading up to the SA Conference-leaders’ tour opener.
Much like their Cape rivals, the Highlanders complement a power game with a commitment to converting turnovers into points. In terms of what will be required to storm the Forsyth Barr Stadium, Etzebeth has the size and the attitude to plug the gaping hole left in the pack by Vermeulen’s absence and thus combat the Highlanders in the fight for physical ascendancy.
At least, he has a reputation for being able to do that – it’s been quite some time since the towering tight forward asserted himself in the Super Rugby arena.
Etzebeth made his Stormers debut in the 2012 season-opener. It was during the same match that Schalk Burger suffered a season-ending knee injury which set off a chain of events that kept the Bok loose forward off the field for 18 months, and almost claimed his life in the process.
Including that 39-25 win against the Hurricanes at Newlands, Burger has made 10 starts for the Stormers since the first match of 2012. That low number won’t surprise too many of the Newlands faithful, but the fact that Etzebeth has made just 21 starts in 49 Super Rugby matches over the same period of time may raise a few eyebrows.
Shoulder and then ankle injuries caused the enforcer lock to miss four games in 2012, he made just seven starts in 2013 after struggling with an ankle complaint, and he was relegated to the sidelines for the duration of the 2014 Super Rugby campaign after going down with a broken foot during South Africa’s preceding year-end tour to Europe.
More than 600 days passed between Etzebeth’s last start for the Stormers, a 3013 win against the Bulls in 2013, and his next taste of Super Rugby, the 29-13 victory over the visiting Sharks in round four of this season.
The 23-year-old only lasted until the third minute of the second half before his recurring chest complaint forced him from the field. Etzebeth missed the loss against the Chiefs and, with the bye, will have had a fortnight to heal by the time the Stormers face the Highlanders.
The fact that the injury flared up one week after he was cleared for duty suggests that, in an ideal world, it may be an issue best treated by an extended break.
The Stormers don’t have the luxury of time, they need to get back to winning ways, and a 120kg bruiser in the No 4 jersey would certainly boost their cause this week.
Etzebeth needs to get back on the field and revive his reputation for being the best front lock in the world. But he has to find a way to do that without adding his name to the injury list.