News24
21 May 2020, 16:42 GMT+10
When Sport24's Herman Mostert recently penned his greatest Springbok team of the professional era, one of the major talking points highlighted by you, the rugby public, concerned one of the lock positions.
Eben Etzebeth was picked at No 4, but a number of Sport24's readers in reaction suggested they would've opted for 2007 Rugby World Cup winning bruiser, Bakkies Botha.
The quality of both players cannot be questioned, but Sport24 felt it would be a good idea to make a case for the inclusion of both in the starting XV.
Herman Mostert again makes a case for Etzebeth to start, while Lloyd Burnard backs Botha.
But what do YOU think? Etzebeth or Botha? Let us know your thoughts by mailing us on [email protected] or by tweeting us at @sport24news
CASE FOR: Eben Etzebeth
Eben Etzebeth and Bakkies Botha will both go down as arguably two of the hardest men to ever play for the Springboks.
Both are tough, uncompromising players who have instilled fear into the eyes or many an opponent.
The Boks were truly blessed to have these two giants manning their engine room in back-to-back eras.
Etzebeth's physicality is right up there with his predecessor Botha, but for me the former is a more mobile and skilful player.
He is also more athletically gifted than Botha and adds a little extra across the park.
Etzebeth is a better lineout organiser - Bakkies played alongside lineout genius Victor Matfield - and the man from Cape Town isequally adept at Botha in poaching opposition lineout balls.
Both were fiery characters on the field, but Etzebeth is more likely to keep his cool when things get hot in the engine room.
Botha had a stellar career - he won everything noteworthy - but his legacy is somewhat tarnished by disciplinary indiscretions.
Too often, the former Bulls hard-man would get himself involved in off-the-ball scuffling and he had an unfortunate tendency of head-butting opponents - just ask former All Blacks scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan and Springbok fullback Gio Aplo... there was also an eye-gouging allegation that somewhat tarnished his legacy.
Don't get me wrong, rugby needs hard grafters like these and Botha will go down as one of the best in history, but I'd back a somewhat calmer Etzebeth in the pressure cooker of an important Test.
Etzebeth may not have won Super Rugby three times like Botha and has only started out at French glamour club Toulon, but he already boasts the same number of Tests (85) than Botha and at only 28 he has the potential to rival Matfield's most-capped Springbok tally of 127.
CASE FOR: Bakkies Botha
Before even examining Botha's on-field ability and what made him one of the great Springboks, his accolades tell their own story.
He was won everything there is to win: A Rugby World Cup (2007), the Rugby Championship (2004, 2009), Super Rugby (2007, 2009, 2019), the Currie Cup (2002, 2004, 2006, 2009), the Vodacom Cup (2001) and, after joining Toulon to see out his career, Botha won Europe's Champions Cup three times (2013, 2014, 2015).
He was also part of the 2009 Springbok side that beat the British & Irish Lions.
It all combines to make him one of the most decorated players in the history of the game.
Botha played 85 Test matches between 2002 and 2014 and, along with Victor Matfield, forged easily the most respected and feared lock pairings in world rugby at the time. Even now, Botha/Matfield is considered one of the great duos in the history of the game.
"Sometimes I feel we know each other better than we know our wives," Botha famously once said.
Known for his immense physicality, Botha was often labelled as a player who crossed the lines of the law on too many occasions. When he was at his absolute best, though, Botha channelled that aggression perfectly.
Huge on defence, naturally strong - physically and technically - at the breakdown and a jumper with a knack for stealing opposition ball, Botha was South Africa's enforcer.
He was a soldier and a player who earned the respect of his team-mates and opponents alike because he was willing to go to some dark places, with seemingly no regard for his body, to get the job done.
That kind of leadership cannot be measured, and many who played with Botha will tell you how much confidence and fearlessness his mere presence injected into the side.
He was a monster, and if you aren't going to pick him in your side, then good luck giving him the news!
Get a daily dose of Irish Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Irish Sun.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: The University of Michigan, known for its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, announced this week that...
AUSTIN, Texas: A federal judge criticized Texas for keeping prisoners in hot prisons without air conditioning but did not order an...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration has ordered two intelligence agencies to use their spy satellites to monitor the U.S.-Mexico...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a significant restructuring of federal...
ANDONG, South Korea: Wildfires in South Korea have doubled in size in just one day, making them the country's worst fire disaster....
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Boeing is now heading to trial this summer, after a U.S. judge unexpectedly set a date in the criminal fraud case...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland's auto industry shifted into higher gear in March, with a sharp jump of 18.5 percent in new car registrations...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Apple's Irish headquarters shouldered a massive 23.2 billion euro corporation tax charge last year, largely due to...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Finance Ireland has secured more than 700 million euros in funding to ramp up lending for cars and commercial property,...
BRUSSELS, Belgium: Apple appears to have dodged a major regulatory setback in Europe, following recent changes to how users select...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland will double its community funding for local projects in Lebanon, Tanaiste Simon Harris announced this week...
Existing sanctions have significantly reduced trade with Moscow, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Russia was excluded...