Eben Etzebeth breaks prematch habit of a lifetime before facing Bok teammate
Eben Etzebeth is maybe the most confrontational player in world rugby, and one very few players want to cross on a pitch.
A player that aggressive during the match is obviously not going to be particularly pleasant prematch as well, as his former Toulon teammate will attest. The Springboks lock was caught on film actually starting on one of his teammates before a match in 2021, and bizarrely a halfback about half his size.
Take a look:
Well that Toulon teammate will be pretty annoyed he did not encounter the same Etzebeth that showed up to the Hollywoodbets Stadium on Saturday to play Munster. Footage has been shared of the lock embracing his South Africa second-row teammate, Munster’s RG Snyman, before the match, which is not the uncontrollably aggressive player the world has grown accustomed to. The South Africa centurion will be desperate that this footage does not spread, as it does not help his enforcer image.
This may have been an exception though, as this was a big moment for Snyman, who has played barely any rugby over the past three years during to successive ACL injuries, and has not played for South Africa since the 2019 World Cup final. However, it was business as usual for Etzebeth once the whistle blew, and he even came head to head with Snyman in an epic collision.
Take a look at their moment before the match:
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The Sharks clinched a thrilling 50-35 victory over Munster to secure a place in the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals. The Sharks scored seven tries and converted six of them, while adding a penalty goal. Meanwhile, the Irish province responded with five converted tries, showcasing their attacking abilities.
At halftime, the Sharks were ahead by 17-14 thanks to converted tries from Springboks Jaden Hendrikse and Etzebeth, in addition to a penalty goal from Curwin Bosch. However, in the second half, the Sharks unleashed five more tries, leaving Munster with little chance of catching up.
Bosch stood out in the match, contributing significantly to the Sharks’ victory with a personal tally of 20 points. The attack coaches were pleased with the performance of both teams, especially the Sharks’ excellent display of attacking rugby.
