Eben Etzebeth has firmly adhered to Rassie Erasmus’s counsel, rejecting disparaging remarks about South Africa made by England’s Courtney Lawes.
Last month, Lawes, an England international, criticized South Africa and the Bulls in comments that followed a controversial decision by Bulls coach Jake White to field a weaker team in a Champions Cup knockout game against Northampton Saints, Lawes’ team.
Describing the tactic as characteristically South African, Lawes said in a discussion with former rugby player Jim Hamilton on the Rugby Pod, “It’s a very South African thing to do, with the whole carnival around it. They claimed there were eight different flights, but I guarantee it wasn’t that complicated. The players and staff arrived pretty much together, but they exaggerated many details to take pressure off themselves, disrupt us, and distract us.”
In response, Springbok forward Eben Etzebeth defended the Bulls, expressing disappointment with Lawes’ broad criticism. “The Bulls received a lot of unfair criticism. Courtney Lawes mentioning something about it being the ‘South African way’ baffles me—why include the whole country?” Etzebeth remarked. “He clearly doesn’t understand what’s happening in South Africa, so he should keep quiet. It’s Jake’s decision who plays. In the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, your odds of winning decrease significantly if you don’t have a home semi-final.”
Etzebeth’s comments align with advice from coach Rassie Erasmus, who, following the 2023 World Cup victory, emphasized in the “Chasing the Sun 2” documentary that the team should not tolerate disparaging remarks about South Africa. Erasmus sharply advised that outsiders should refrain from speaking poorly about the country and that they should be corrected when they do.
This stance was exemplified by Etzebeth, who refused to let Lawes’ comments about South Africa and the Bulls go unchallenged.
Meanwhile, Coach Jake White clarified after the Bulls’ significant loss that his strategy was never about disrespecting the Champions Cup. “I want to clear up that I’m not complaining about being here; in fact, I love this competition,” White told reporters. “It’s almost like test rugby in terms of style and intensity. We’re here because we want to win and prove ourselves competitive. But considering it’s only our second year in this competition, and for some, their first time traveling this way, we still have much to learn.”
