Rugby: Can Etzebeth save the Sharks from drowning?
Etzebeth acknowledged that the Sharks have not been up to scratch this season and need more physicality to climb out of their URC slump.
Eben Etzebeth, the Springboks centurion, believes that the Sharks need to increase their physicality as they search for ways to improve their form in the current season. Despite having a star-studded lineup featuring numerous Springboks, the Durban-based team has struggled, winning only one out of their 11 matches and currently sitting at the bottom of the United Rugby Championship table.
NO EXCUSES FOR POOR PERFORMANCE, SAYS ETZEBETH
Etzebeth refuses to make excuses for the team’s poor performance, even though they have faced challenges such as key injuries and the unavailability of their Springboks stars at times.
He acknowledges that while the team is working hard in training, their efforts are not translating into results on the field. “We haven’t had a good season so far. There are no excuses really. I think we just need to take a hard look at ourselves as individuals and as a collective,” Etzebeth told reporters.
FORWARDS NEED TO STEP UP IN PHYSICAL DEPARTMENT
The veteran lock believes that the forwards have a significant responsibility to improve the team’s physicality, particularly in the set-pieces. “We as forwards, we have a big job and responsibility to step-up in the physical department. I think we haven’t been great so far in our set-pieces this year,” Etzebeth said.
He added, “As South Africans we love that battle and I just feel at the moment we are letting ourselves down and we are letting the Sharks supporters down with what we produce on match day. I think we can be a bit more physical on the field.”
STRONGEST SQUAD AVAILABLE FOR UPCOMING MATCHES
With most of their players now available for selection, Etzebeth believes that the Sharks have fielded their strongest 23-man squad of the season. However, he cautions that having big names back in the team is not enough; they must deliver on the field.
“It is the first time this season that we’ve got most of our players playing. As a collective it’s probably the strongest 23 we could’ve picked so far,” he said.
“It will be a boost to have everyone back. It’s still a work in progress, we still have to put it out on the field. It’s easy to think about names coming back, but at the end of the day it’s what happens on Saturday that counts.”
ETZEBETH RECOVERS FROM KNEE SURGERY
Etzebeth, who recently won back-to-back SA Rugby Player of the Year awards, had been sidelined due to a persistent knee injury that required surgery. The second row forward has since recovered and is eager to return to action. “I’ve been struggling with my knee for quite a while. It’s been going on since even before the World Cup, so I had to fix it up sometime and I think it was the perfect break,” he explained.
“It was definitely the right time now and I just missed two local derbies. It already feels better than before the op [operation] so that’s a positive. “As the Sharks look to turn their season around, Etzebeth’s leadership and physicality will be crucial in the coming matches. The team will need to translate their hard work in training into improved performances on the field if they hope to climb up the United Rugby Championship table and satisfy their supporters.