In every team no matter the sport there are often one or two players that bind a squad together by theirs action on the field of play.
For the Springboks one of those men is the already legendary figure of Eben Etzebeth who has been one of the very locks in the world since bursting onto the scene over a decade ago.
A towering figure in every sense of the word the 6’9” Etzebeth fitted in seamlessly to the Bok enforcer role as he took from a fellow legend in Bakkies Botha.
Tormenting opposition ball carriers with monstrous hits whilst seemingly making meters with ease every time he carries the ball, Etzebeth is the linchpin of the brutal Bok forward pack.
Facing him today is his English counterpart Maro Itoje who was a sensation from day one for both England and Saracens.
Like Etzebeth, Itoje is a physical freak in the best possible way and is arguably the most disruptive player in the game at ruck and maul time.
A quiet leader by all accounts, Itoje leads with his actions and has long been considered a future England captain in waiting.
The two men have met on multiple occasions with every battle leading to fireworks but none more so than their clash in the most recent British and Irish Lions tour.
With tensions at boiling point in the tightly contested series the two sides squared up following.
Taking the front and centre role was the two giant locks in a big head-to-head scuffle that set the tone for their respective sides.
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