Earlier this 12 months, Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth made some notable revelations throughout an look on The Rugby Pod with Jim Hamilton.
Reflecting on the Springboks’ World Cup journey, Etzebeth recalled a number of stunning encounters with the Irish gamers after they beat South Africa in a brutal pool stage match.
Etzebeth said that the majority Irish gamers have been already overly assured of progressing all the way in which to the ultimate and that “12 of the 23” Ireland gamers informed him that they’d see them [the Springboks] within the remaining whereas shaking his hand after the ultimate whistle.
The lock defined that the Irish gamers’ angle got here throughout as them disregarding a serious quarter-final battle in opposition to the All Blacks, which they finally misplaced.
Eben Etzebeth sticks to his weapons
In the lead up to what’s positive to be a fiery rematch between the Springboks and Ireland at Loftus this weekend, Etzebeth refused to take a backward step, regardless of some critics suggesting he will need to have misunderstood what was mentioned.
“I said what I said. It was after the game and a lot of them said how could I count to that exact number of players,” Etzebeth insisted throughout a press convention this week.
“To give an estimate, it was positively not lower than six or seven gamers, however no more than 20 of them. I simply gave an estimate, however I mentioned what I mentioned as a result of we’ll by no means, after a sport, inform them we’ll see them within the remaining.
“There was a lot of rugby that still needed to be played, and maybe that was their way to say we’re a good side, and we may make it all the way to the final.”
ANDY GOODE INSERTS HIMSELF INTO THE EQUATION
During a subsequent episode of the Rugby Pod, ex-England flyhalf Goode was requested for his ideas on Etzebeth’s feedback, and he was one of those that steered Etzebeth had received it flawed.
“Was he surprised by what he thought he heard? I’m going to call him out,” Goode mentioned. “I name bulls***. You ain’t counting to 12 or 13 straight after a sport, son!
“I reckon if anyone said it they would have said, ‘Hopefully, see you in the final’. Meaning we know we are both going our separate paths now,” Goode continued his verbal tirade in opposition to Etzebeth.
“And there isn’t a means Eben can depend to 12 shaking folks’s palms. You’ve been in that state of affairs the place you might be completely blitzed. No one is aware of what’s going on.
“You have just lost a game. Your emotions are everywhere. You ain’t going, ‘One, two, three, four, five, Caelan Doris, that’s the sixth person to say it’. It’s not happening, is it?” he continued to query Etzebeth’s honesty.
“What I think they probably said is, ‘Hopefully, see you in the final’ or whatever because the Irish are good people. There’s not a f****** chance that they have gone there, and it’s been interpreted the way it has or the way it is in Eben’s head.”
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