Eben Etzebeth says he won’t hold back despite recent red-card controversy involving fellow Springbok locks Lood de Jager and Franco Mostert.
De Jager received a straight red against France in Paris and a four-match ban, while Mostert faces a disciplinary hearing this week after getting his marching orders against Italy in Turin.
Asked by media in Dublin how the red cards may affect the team ahead of Saturday’s blockbuster Test at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Etzebeth said: “Rassie picked six locks … myself, JK [Jean Kleyn], Ruan [Nortje], RG [Snyman], and then guys like Pieter-Steph [du Toit] and Ben-Jason [Dixon] who can cover. It doesn’t affect us too much, but you just need to be aware.”
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Asked specifically how the red cards were affecting their thinking and approach, he replied: “You’d assume you’re always safe, but you’re not. But I just keep playing my game.”
Etzebeth pointed to the internal standards of the team set-up as part of the reason for Boks’ continued high levels of performance.
“It starts with the coaching staff, keeping us on our toes. No one in this team will ever feel safe. We know we have to keep performing to be picked in the 23.
“We keep each other accountable, we respect every opponent, and we try never to slack off.”
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Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
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