Rugby Player Analysis: Eben Etzebeth | The Genius at Rucks
I’ve wanted to release this video for some time now. Eben has always been one of the players I’ve loved to scout. There is so much to like about his game, but the thing that stands out to me is his Rugby IQ. He’s the only player that I’ve seen that has a complete understanding of ruck time. In fact, he’s so good that sometimes he notices stuff that the ref can’t even see.
People think of Eben as an Enforcer ( He definitely is!), but they fail to realize how good he actually is in all the other facets of the game. In this video I want to showcase his exceptional awareness at ruck time and how he looks for weaknesses at ruck time to spot when the ball is out.
This is something that happens regularly in rugby at ruck time, where a player would disband from the ruck, but the defence will fail to notice it. At the end of the clip I showed instances in random games where the opportunity arises for a defending team to get a turnover, but they’re not focusing on what is in front of them. You can test this out in any game, this happens 3-4 times in any game.
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1:16 Kitshoff purposefully made him unbind so others could go on ball. this is a great rugby right here
Eben knows the laws more than the refs who don’t seem to know their jobs.
Great video. I learned a lot.
Love it! Eben is often overlooked for what he bring beyond the physical. Don’t think many people see his rugby IQ. not to mention how much work he does and the athleticism to carry and move a frame like that around the park. For his sake I hope no more COVID interruptions as he deserves to be one of the most capped Springboks of all time.
What’s with the music 🎶
This is class – I wish Etzebeth was a kiwi, what a player.
Cool story Rassie
This is nothing particularly extra-ordinary. I note late arrival at rucks and mauls. Also ….like most South Africans… appeals to the referee as though its a cricket match
Great to see a video where you’re not complaining about the referees not protecting your delicate players in the URC ? However you might be right, can’t remember who but one your guys slipped while playing, got injured and had to be taken off. I’m a bit suspicious that the pitch was biased against the South African teams. And I said it too at the ladies coffee morning and they all agreed that the match officials, the weather, the pitches, the ball, the try line, and the goal posts were all biased and the European players are far too rough, and it’s not that the SA teams are shite. 😉
Is the reff supposed to make a hand/arm gesture when the ruck is over? Some time it looms like the reff stretches out both arms to the side.
This video points out how the devil is in the details, and for me another reason why Rugby needs at least a second reff on the field. Both sides of the break down and Scrum should have its own reff.
Basically Refs are incompetent once again
Great Analysis
wtf is with the music though?…
Bound, not binded.
World rugby player of the year right here!🇿🇦
Sign this guy up to be a TMO!!!
they must fine refs for bad games …
Refs don’t seem to pick it up much
Rucks are a mess. And while I’m not sure I want to live in a world with this level of scrutiny to bindings, I would be happy with less of these ridiculous, human-centipede-like rucks for box kicks.
I think if there is no daylight when the player changes his bind at the ruck then the defending player (player attacking the ruck) is looking to be penalised if he tries to play the ball. That being said I love the way Eben puts pressure on the attacking team at ruck time
But he doesn’t…
He seems to be offside nearly every time, according to the pedantic standards of your previous analysis.
Whats with the morbid music?
Offside at every ruck, surely. Hindmost foot?
Even though he was offside in the first clip, I’m amazed you didn’t pick that one up, then again you looking at it from a biased point of view, ps I’m a neutral just to let you know, I just love the sport of rugby
How is a South African lock better at refereeing than an *international* ref
Some of these bind call outs dont seem correct, one arm unbinds but from our perspective to me its clear the other hand is still very bound: speaking on the first two rucks
Why aren’t the refs allowing Eben to steal the ball for a turnover?
For exemple at 4:17, is it allowed for Itoje to take part of the wrestling in the ruck and so to move back the line ?
Because he is not on his foot, no ?
Sorry for my english…
Still lost 😀
Your idea of bind disbanding is completely subjective to the opinion of a ref. You stated ‘the moment when the bind disbands’. In the eyes of most refs, altering ones grip is not disbanding bind, which is why refs ignore ebens pestering and offsideness.
Poor ref, in from the side, stupid ref
Just watched a video on Etsebet Tribute.
It’s not just about releasing the bind. The bond should be a full arm bind. If it’s not a full arm bind, the player protecting the ball is not bound and the ball is then out.
Play to the ref Not the rules or laws. It’s interpretation of ref that you should play by.
Off side all day, unless the ref says it out the ruck then play, not tell the ref its out then go. Lots of things wrong with coming off side and the ball is still in the ruck. Enter through the ruck not around the sides.
In many of these examples, there’s no ruck whatsoever because there isn’t a defending player bound to an attacking player. To my way of thinking, it’s really not relevant if players from the attacking team are bound to one another or not, and the defenders could attack this "ruck" formation from any direction as no off-side line is formed. Is that right?
Tricky one for a ref to judge in game. Especially that the loss of bind tends to occur late in the ruck phase, when a ref’s focus is usually on ensuring that the defensive line is offside, they will rarely ever see the loss of bind and will just see a mammoth bokke on the wrong side. Amazing video though keep it up 🙂
This is a great channel but why always the sad dramatic classical music?
Captains need the ability to force a tmo review give them 1 white card a half and if they are right they keep it to use again. If the call the ref made doesn’t fit the criteria of clear and obvious it gets reversed. Same for an obvious infringement the ref ignores. At the end of play/next time ball goes dead pull the card and get it reviewed.
Things like that should be challenged. So many times etzebeth is telling the ref the player is unbound but if the ref doesn’t acknowledge he doesn”t dare go for the ball because the penalty will go against him for offside. If he can steal that ball and the white card gives South Africa possession when the ref is wrong then he will have the ability to effect that turn over. The net effect will be that teams will be forced to stop illegally unbinding and rebinding causing more turnovers.
Unless the ref sees it too it’s kind of pointless, he’s just gonna get penalised.
Great job, Bro. Thanx!
Still not as good as Itoje
So the “disbanding” happens for a split second which the ref almost never catches and you go charging in to take the ball…..and proceed to give away a penalty for going offside …
Barely worth the trouble if you ask me. The refs simply aren’t that sharp to spot these split second infringements…..
Very good video thaks.
If a profesional player can learn and play the rules of rugby then for sure the referee can learn it as well. The ref is not actively involved as an player and must be aware of almost everything, especially at a ruck..
Why can’t you put the full lions series games on are you sore loserd
Boks must come to terms.
They will always play 16 men
Another great video Rassie, your range is impressive