Springbok great Eben Etzebeth suffered another setback in his road to recovery.
Three months after leaving the pitch with a concussion, the Sharks lock was in good stead to return to action this weekend, only to get it ripped away. “Eben will not be available this week,” the Durban outfit confirmed.
It’s been a tumultuous time for the 33-year-old, who has many people pondering whether he will make the 2027 World Cup.
December 7, against Exeter Chiefs in the Champions Cup, was the last time Springbok’s most-capped player was on the pitch. Concussion recovery often concludes after three weeks – it’s taken Etzebeth over three months (and counting).
Sharks coach John Plumtree is optimistic he will return in late March but understands that anything can happen, saying, “I’m too scared to tell you anything positive about Eben, as every time I have done that before and raised my hopes, we have ended up going backward again.
“But he is training with us and looking good. He will play before the end of this month (March),” Plumtree predicted.
“We will never bring a guy back too early,” Erasmus said then. “Eben must get to the stage where he is completely symptom-free.”
Relapse in symptoms
Around a month after the injury the former Springbok Rugby Player of the Year endured a relapse in symptoms, extending the timeline of his recovery. We hope to see you back soon.
“[Etzebeth has] suffered a return of symptoms of his recent concussion,” the club confirmed.
“The Sharks take this injury seriously, and player welfare remains our priority. Eben is being managed by concussion specialists. He will be cleared to return once they are satisfied his injury has completely resolved.”
What is your favourite Springbok-Etzebeth moment?
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