Eben Etzebeth Ruled Out of Italy Test Following Concussion

Eben Etzebeth will not be considered for the Springboks’ Test match against Italy on Saturday in Florence following the concussion he suffered against England, Springbok coach Allister Coetzee has announced.

The Springbok lock left the field in the first half after a head collision in the weekend’s Test against England at Twickenham.

Coetzee confirmed that no replacement will be called up as the Springboks currently have sufficient lock cover. Pieter-Steph du Toit, Lood de Jager and Franco Mostert are the other locks in the squad, while Oupa Mohoje and Willem Alberts have both provided cover in the lock position previously.

Bryan Habana, who did not play against England, had a full run at training on Monday and he will be available for selection, according to Coetzee.

Meanwhile, flanker Uzair Cassiem joined the squad on Sunday in Italy as replacement for Roelof Smit and he had his first training run with his team mates in the afternoon.

The Springbok team to play against Italy will be named on Thursday.

Coetzee said the defeat against England was “hurting”, but he also praised his team for their courage at Twickenham, especially during the latter stages of the Test, which England won 37-21, their first win in a decade over South Africa.

Coetzee admitted: “We need to get a win. That is one important thing for any team. You can work as hard as you want, but for belief in structures and the team itself, you need to win.”