Bakkies calls fo rEtzebeth to be managed well

Former Springbok lock Bakkies Botha says young lock Eben Etzebeth's career should be carefully managed in order to get the best out of him.

Etzebeth, 21, started 13 of the Stormers' 17 games last year and 11 of the 12 Tests the Boks played. He also represented Western Province at the tail-end of last year's Currie Cup competition, which they won after beating the Sharks 25-18 in the final in Durban.

"I think they have to manage a guy like Eben really well," Botha said in an interview with Rapport after playing a club game in France for Toulon. They beat Grenoble 39-3 on Saturday.

"The South African season has become very long with the Super-series and Test rugby overlapping.

"That's the biggest secret to get the best out if him. But he was phenomenal in 2012. I'm really pleased for him that he's playing such good rugby," said Botha, who played 76 Tests for the Boks between 2002 and 2011. (Please note rooitwit!)

Etzebeth's 27 matches in 2012 is still below the maximum allowed number of 32 - as dictated by an agreement between the South African Rugby Players Association (SARPA) and the provincial unions.

However, SARPA CEO Piet Heymans says that rule needs to be overlooked as players are playing way too much rugby.

"That figure was stipulated years ago and clearly needs to be reviewed. If you take into consideration the intensity of modern day rugby and the limited amount of rest periods allowed for top players, then clearly 32 is too much," Heymans said.

The Stormers have a tough start to this year's Super Rugby competition: away derbies against traditionally fiercest domestic rival powers the Bulls and Sharks, and then an opening home outing against defending champions the Chiefs.

And Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has indicated that he'll need to make sure his best players are battle-hardened when the season commences, which means Etzebeth will have to play in warm-up games against the Cheetahs (Bloemfontein, February 2) and Boland Cavaliers (Wellington, February 9).

Thee ar esurely games where bekker nd  Elstadt can do the duties so Etzebeth must not be overplayed. That limit must defintely be amended.

All more the reason Coetzee stuffed up by playing the very average de Kock Steenkamp ahead of Quinn Roux last season, forcing Roux to go look for starting time in Ireland.

Roux could have lightened Etzebeth's load in a big way as he is the closest to Eben that the Stormers had.

I will never understand how a coach could have selected Steenkamp over Roux - pathetic really

Roux and Etzebeth

The treatment and subsequent loss of Quin Roux overseas is mind boggling. He supposed to be coming back and to take over from Bekker in a coupel of seasons but one cant be sure. Big pay packets, easy rugby and maybe an Irish , was it,  test career looming. All because the coachining staff cant see he is better than Steenkamp!

Love to see those two in tandem!! Would have the wee nz players wetting themselves. Oh when will we forget about show pony string bean locks who live in the backline and weigh a mere 106 kg!  Nonsensical stuff.

Roux is meant to only be with the Irish club for a year. He is injured at the moment out for 3 months I think, which might help with his return to SA for the less they see of him in action, the better

Beeno, name an incidence or AB player/forward that has ever been intimidated by any Bok forward. Name a Bok player that has played on in test with a broken arm(Colin Meads against SA) or torn scrotum (Buck Shelford)?  That's why AB forwards don't lose any sleep over playing a Bok pack. Etzebeth though good player that he is will not mean tiddly winks to the AB's.  Enough macho talk for now.

 DdDradd, yeah responded on "beeno" mode and was bored really. The scrotum tear happened in an AB/French test, where Shelford I think was taped up and continued playing.

 DdDradd, yeah responded on "beeno" mode and was bored really. The scrotum tear happened in an AB/French test, where Shelford I think was taped up and continued playing.

 DdDradd, yeah responded on "beeno" mode and was bored really. The scrotum tear happened in an AB/French test, where Shelford I think was taped up and continued playing.

polyboy

I beg to differ from you.  Palm Tree was one of the best locks of his era and respected world wide.   But in the present  forward scenario if a forward pack is selected from a combination of SA and New Zealand forwards - there are only two forwards from New Zealand that would be included in that forward pack - namely McCaw and Read.   The rest are all considerably weaker than their SA counterparts.

The only advantage the New Zealand forwards have are that some of them are  more mobile than some of their SA counterparts - but that in the main are often enough neutralized - since in tight play they are really not up to standard and give away far too many penalties in the process.

In the tests this year the forwards of New Zealand did not win the tests for them - it was the excellent All Black backline - coupled to atrocious Springbok defence - that did the trick for them.   In essence I think there is not a single All Black forward that does not worry about taking on their SA counterparts - so lets leave it at that  

Franks weaker than Jannie???

Saffex

Franks was the one All Black forward that I hessitated about when I wrote the above comments.   I think you are right about that one - but i also think there are other props in SA that I rate higher than Janiie - who really is past it or getting near to that stage. 

Franks is probably the best tighthead in the game. I would like to say we have a better young tighthead than Jannie, but we don't yet

Clevermike, you thinking that AB's forwards worry about the Bok forwards and it being actual reality are 2 different things, the AB record against the Boks testtify to that. I'ld accept it if the Boks have a better winning record against the AB's or if they have won more TRi nations, or even Super 15 titles. Surely over all these years and tournaments it's not just the backs and oponents atrocious defence that have helped the AB's. If anything I think the AB's have the psychological edge as evidenced by the last RC test IN SA. The Boks had a decent lead but surrendered it easily in their backyard. So evidently you don't need to have the best forwards in every position to win games, just an effective pack of forwards that do the job well enough to win games....along witha spanking good backline.

"Palm Tree"? I wonder if this idiot is referring to Colin "Pinetree" Meads?

"Palm Tree", wehe!

It was Palm Tree after he retired!!!!!!