GAME OVER: Eben Etzebeth easily manhandled by Ireland winger in career first
The rugby world witness something today that was so shocking and rare that we all may never recover from it.
This was something that no one thought was possible, and something that may have given every single Springboks fan a headache as they try and compute what just happened. That is because Eben Etzebeth -Bok enforcer and 120kg beast- was completely manhandled by the Ireland defence at the Stade de France. Completely manhandled is bad enough, but he was completely manhandled by winger James Lowe. You read that correctly.
Etzebeth carried the ball into Lowe while the Boks were camped in the Ireland 22 in the second half, but Lowe met the lock head on and alongside flanker Josh van der Flier, picked him up and drove him backwards. The sight of Etzebeth’s legs helplessly dangling in the air is a sight that no one on Earth is familiar with. He could do nothing as the ball was eventually turned over.
No one was more shocked than Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber, who immediately substituted his second-row after he was turned over. That was maybe the lowest point of Etzebeth’s career, and he was not even given the chance to respond.
Take a look:
James Lowe réussit l'impossible : faire reculer Eben Etzebeth#RWC2023 | #RSAvIRE pic.twitter.com/V65eCkOQkR
— Rugby World Cup FR 🇫🇷 (@RugbyWorldCupFR) September 23, 2023
🇿🇦 🆚 🇮🇪 Ce plaquage de James Lowe sur le monstre Eben Etzebeth 💥
This James Lowe’s tackle on the monster Etzebeth is just crazy 🤯#RSAvIRE #RWC2023 #IREvRSA #AFSIRL #Springboks #rugbyworldcup2023 pic.twitter.com/vBBOqPjhON
— Le Top14 Pas Officiel (@Top14PasOff_Bis) September 23, 2023
Rare footage of Etzebeth getting monstered #RSAvIRE pic.twitter.com/pLMCEtHTMW
— Steve Lenthall (@steve_l15) September 23, 2023
