Five Boks in Campo’s Rugby Champs XV

Eben Etzebeth is one of five Springboks who have cracked the nod for David Campese’s all-time Rugby Championship XV.

Etzebeth will win his 123rd Test cap when the Boks tackle the Wallabies in the 2024 Rugby Championship opener, as he closes in on Victor Matfield’s 127-cap record.

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The enforcer is among five Springboks who were selected by former Wallabies wing David Campese when he named his all-time Rugby Championship XV to Planet Rugby.

Etzebeth got the nod over Bakkies Botha and Brodie Retallick, with Campese crediting his street-smarts.

“The epitome of belief and abrasion, he’s not given enough credit for his rugby IQ which you’ll often see in some amazing defensive reads,” Campese told Planet Rugby.

Former Bok hooker Bismarck du Plessis, 1995 World Cup-winning scrumhalf Joost van der Westerhuizen and Etzebeth’s two-time World Cup-winning teammates Cheslin Kolbe and Pieter-Steph du Toit have also been included.

There are seven former All Blacks in the team – including Richie McCaw and Jonah Lomu, who has been picked ahead of Bryan Habana – two Wallabies and one Argentinian in legendary loosehead prop Marcos Ayerza.

David Campese’s all-time Rugby Championship XV – 15 Chris Latham (Australia), 14 Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa), 13 Conrad Smith (New Zealand), 12 Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand), 11 Jonah Lomu (New Zealand), 10 Dan Carter (New Zealand), 9 Joost van der Westhuizen (South Africa), 8 Kieran Read (New Zealand), 7 Richie McCaw (New Zealand), 6 Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa), 5 John Eales (Australia), 4 Eben Etzebeth (South Africa), 3 Carl Hayman (New Zealand), 2 Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa), 1 Marcos Ayerza (Argentina).