2. SECOND ROW: Maro Itoje vs Eben Etzebeth
With all of the excitement that comes with the showboating skills of the back-line, there is a power battle set to ensue between the English and South African packs. There is no underplaying the significance of the Springbok’s front-row ‘Bomb Squad’ from the substitutes bench, but we’ve focussed on a battle that is likely to last the full 80 minutes at the Stade de France.
Second row superstars Maro Itoje and Eben Etzebeth are set to collide in Paris, in a crucial battle within the semi-final war. Rewind back to the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final, and Itoje and Etzebeth were both at the peak of their powers. The duo were inseparable in the discussion regarding the world’s best lock, yet in the past World Cup cycle, Itoje’s stock had dwindled slightly, with under-par performances by his standards, in the recent Six Nations campaigns.
Whilst Etzebeth continued to rule the roost, the Saracen had been steadily kicking through his gears and looks to have hit his full stride, ahead of this weekend’s all-important semi-final. Itoje showed glimpses of his elite best in the campaign opener against Argentina, and certainly reached top form with an excellent run out against Fiji. Itoje made 11 tackles and bossed the breakdown against the Pacific Islanders, with key turnovers made to halt the Fijian’s attacking momentum.
He also showcased his presence in attack, making 69 metres with the ball in hand. Itoje’s stand-out moment last weekend in Marseille was an epic intercept breakaway, that saw the towering lock stride away down-field and hand a big fend to a Fijian defender. Etzebeth is ready for the physical battle, after making a swift recovery from a shoulder injury he sustained in the Rugby World Cup opener against Scotland. RG Snyman provided a more than capable stand-in, and bossed two pool stage matches, whilst Etzebeth made his recovery.
The Sharks man is now back fully-fit and firing, with a stand-out quarter-final performance of his own against France. The lock battled through the boos, which rang out in the Stade de France every time he got the ball following his return from the sin bin. Etzebeth stepped into the villain’s role for the matches’ latter stages, and ensured that Les Bleus had anything from a happy ending. Etzebeth powered through the wall of Blue bodies, to score a key try in South Africa’s eventual pursuit of victory.
Etzebeth made 10 tackles and six carries against France, and battled Fabien Galthie’s men at the breakdown for the duration of his run-out. It is sizing up to be an immense clash in the second row when these two titans of international rugby collide, and the Stade de France could well need re-enforcements to contain these two titanic packs.