Eben Etzebeth swats aways Test flanker with frightening ease
Eben Etzebeth is playing rugby on another level at the moment, and could quite well be the unofficial best player in the world.
His Sharks side sit second in Pool A in the Heineken Champions Cup, and looked like serious contenders against Bordeaux Begles at Kings Park on Saturday.
Nothing quite summed up the confidence and form Etzebeth is in at the moment than a carry he made in the first ten minutes of the match. Receiving the ball in his own 22, the 31-year-old initially shaped up to kick, which no one would past him given the way that basically everything he does comes off for him currently. Instead, he decided to carry, which was probably the wise choice, although not the ideal choice for opposing flanker Renato Giammarioli.
Etzebeth swatted the 112kg Italy flanker with freakish ease before carrying on his rampaging run until he was brought down by hooker Clément Maynadier.
Take a look at the carry:
Eben Etzebeth dropping defenders like a January Sale #HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/gAJMG945SM
— Darren (@SaffasRugby) January 15, 2023
Etzebeth’s run more or less summed up the match as a whole, as the Sharks comfortably won 32-3 to put them in a commanding position in the Champions Cup. They face a Harlequins side this Saturday that are in need of a victory in order to keep their European hopes alive this season, so this will prove to probably be their hardest match of their European campaign.
The Sharks came out on top 39-31 when they face Quins earlier this season, but were in trouble in the latter stages of the match after a customary Harlequins fightback.
Sharks director of rugby Neil Powell said to the Sharks’ website after the match: “It was a good win and getting five points was important for our journey going forward.
“It was a goal of our to get the bonus point win to go into the next game [against Harlequins in London] with momentum and flow.
“At times it was a bit frustrating because of how scrappy the game became at stages and although there was a bit of rustiness, hopefully we can build on the things that went well going into the Harlequins game.”
