Springbok enforcer Eben Etzebeth says Bakkies Botha and he have moved past the spat that grabbed headlines in February.
The two Test second rowers locked horns in the media after Botha said he was disappointed that Etzebeth had failed to live up to his reputation while at Toulon, the Top 14 club Botha represented between 2011 and 2015.
Etzebeth, the 97-cap Bok World Cup winner who will be joining the Sharks in Durban next season, responded on Twitter at the time: “Noted. Next time you want to ENFORCE an opinion, you’ve got my number.”
Sharks confirm Etzebeth signing
Botha is a giant of South African rugby, capped 85 times by the Springboks, and boasts a glittering rugby CV that includes Rugby World Cup, Tri-Nations, Lions Series, Super 14, Currie Cup, Top 14 and Heineken Cup trophies.
“When I retire one day I won’t go around saying things about fellow Boks, so I was caught a bit off guard,” Etzebeth told Jim Hamilton in a video interview with RugbyPass published on Sunday.
“As players we get quite a lot of grief from fans, and now one of your own are also giving you some sh*t. I was a bit angry, surprised and disappointed in the comments.
“We spoke after that and all sorted, there’s no hard feelings. Bakkies rang me, and we spoke and he said it was taken out of context a bit. I also read the article. We solved it and when we see each other in South Africa again we’ll have a beer.”
