Eben Etzebeth Breaks Springbok Caps Record as Ellis Park Streak Ends
- The Springboks’ fortress cracked at Ellis Park, where a commanding first-half lead slipped away in front of a stunned home crowd
- Amid the team’s disappointment, Eben Etzebeth reached a milestone that rewrote South African rugby history, placing him among the game’s global greats
- With time still on his side, the veteran looks set to climb even higher, eyeing records that only a handful of players worldwide have ever touched
Springboks veteran Eben Etzebeth made history on Saturday at Ellis Park Stadium in the Rugby Championship clash against Australia.
The Boks, however, endured heartbreak after surrendering a commanding 22-0 lead to suffer a crushing 22-38 defeat.
It was their first loss to Australia at Ellis Park since 1963, and ended a 12-year unbeaten home run against the Wallabies.
Source: Getty Images
That disappointment overshadowed Etzebeth’s milestone. The legendary lock became the most capped Springbok of all time with 134 Test appearances, breaking new ground while also entering the top ten on the global list. He now sits joint 10th alongside Welsh prop Gethin Jenkins.
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Only James Slipper and Beauden Barrett are still active among the players ahead of him, meaning Etzebeth has the chance to climb further.
Etzebeth joins the top 10 global list
The 33-year-old could move into sole 10th place if he features in Saturday’s return fixture in Cape Town, with time still on his side to push even higher.
Etzebeth made his Springbok debut on 9 June 2012 against England and has since scored seven tries. His career has been decorated with success, including back-to-back Rugby World Cup triumphs in 2019 and 2023.
He is now on course to become the first player to reach 150 Tests for South Africa, a milestone only achieved globally by Alun Wyn Jones (Wales) and Sam Whitelock (New Zealand).
Source: Getty Images
South Africa’s list of Test centurions includes:
Victor Matfield – 127
Bryan Habana – 124
Tendai Mtawarira – 117
John Smit – 111
Jean de Villiers – 109
Percy Montgomery – 102
Willie le Roux* – 100 (the most recent entrant, reaching the mark against Italy)
Captain Siya Kolisi is also within touching distance on 94 caps.
Kolisi reacts to Boks' defeat to Australia
Speaking after the match, Kolisi, who was used in the number 8 role by Erasmus, shared his thoughts on the Springboks' performance and rued their mistake in throwing away a 22-0 lead in the game.
The 34-year-old admitted that their performance wasn't good enough and was widely unacceptable.
"We really let ourselves down, and we have to own that," said the Springbok captain after the match.
"It's simply not good enough. You start strong, then ease off — that’s not acceptable at this level. It just isn’t."
Rassie Erasmus explains what went wrong in the defeat
Briefly News previously reported that a disappointed Rassie Erasmus conceded that Australia outclassed his side, South Africa, across the board in their embarrassing Rugby Championship upset at Ellis Park on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
The Springboks were up by 22-0 in the match after just 18 minutes of play, but the Wallabies rallied back to earn a deserving 38-22 victory.
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Source: Briefly News
