Rugby world left stunned as debutant’s first carry is straight to Eben Etzebeth
Maybe he wanted to make a statement in his first ever Rugby Championship match? Maybe he just did not see Eben Etzebeth coming? We will have to ask Mark Telea what on Earth he was thinking in his first carry against the Springboks at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday.
After fielding the ball deep in the back field, the Rugby Championship debutant beat the first defender and obviously got a bit cocky. That cockiness soon came crashing down as he encountered all 117kg of the Springboks captain running full pelt towards him.
The lock welcomed Telea to the Rugby Championship and All Blacks-Springboks encounters in the most brutal fashion possible, and the rugby world have been left truly in awe of the shot on Twitter. Here are some of the comments:
‘Telea just got hit by a train’
‘Telea got absolutely pummelled by Etzebeth’
‘Etzebeth has sampled Telea ehhhhh’
‘Oh my word 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Thumping hit from Etzebeth on Telea.’
‘what a hit from etzebeth’
‘Frantic start! Eben Etzebeth is like a man possessed’
Take a look at the hit:
Telea flattened by Eben Etzebeth #RugbyChampionship | #NZLvRSA pic.twitter.com/Dz00lfvGtI
— Darren (@SaffasRugby) July 15, 2023
Telea just got hit by a train #NZLvRSA
— Rhys Knott (@furry_pistol) July 15, 2023
Telea got absolutely pummelled by Etzebeth 😭
— YouTube: HattrickHeroes_ (@sivbreak) July 15, 2023
Etzebeth has sampled Telea ehhhhh
— Frank Degzi Kidega (@TheRealDegzi) July 15, 2023
Oh my word 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Thumping hit from Etzebeth on Telea but New Zealand stay composed and sail up the pitch with vintage ball handling skill. Will Jordan a class above #NZvRSA
— The 5 Metre Channel (@FMC_Rugby) July 15, 2023
what a hit from etzebeth 😭😭
— oyisa mjali (@its40chief) July 15, 2023
Frantic start! Eben Etzebeth is like a man possessed
— Tom Dabinett (@tomdabs) July 15, 2023
Springboks XV
15 – Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 84 caps, 65 pts (13t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 23 caps, 74pts (11t, 2c, 5p)
13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 32 caps, 30 pts (6t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Panasonic Wild Knights) – 70 Tests, 45pts (9t)
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 36 caps, 110pts (22t)
10 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 28 caps, 36 pts (2t, 4c, 4p, 2d)
9 – Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) – 46 Tests, 41pts (5t, 2c, 4p)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester) – 20 caps, 5pts (1t)
7 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 63 caps, 15pts (3t)
6 – Kwagga Smith (Blue Revs) – 31 caps, 20pts (4t)
5 – Lood de Jager (Panasonic Wild Knights) – 65 caps, 25pts (5t)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 110 caps, 15pts (3t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 59 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks) – 57 caps, 60 pts (12t)
1 – Steven Kitshoff (Ulster) – 72 caps, 10pts (2t)
Replacements
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 59 caps, 70pts (14t)
17 – Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 16 caps, 0 pts
18 – Vincent Koch (Stade Francais) – 42 caps, 0 pts
19 – RG Snyman (Munster) – 24 caps, 5 pts (1t)
20 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 67 caps, 30 pts (6t)
21 – Duane Vermeulen (SA Rugby) – 66 caps, 15 pts (3t)
22 – Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks) – 2 caps, 0 pts
23 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – 4 caps, 19 pts (8c, 1p)
