Springbok quartet on blockbuster Christmas list

Four Springbok stars have been named on Wallaby great David Campese’s 12 Players for Christmas list.

Campese, universally known as Campo and widely regarded as one of world rugby’s all-time greatest players, accumulated 101 Tests for the Wallabies and was part of their World Cup-winning squad in 1991.

Speaking to PlanetRugby, Campo identified his 12 best players in the world and heralded them for their epic individual contributions to the game in 2024. A Springbok aces — Ox Nche, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth and Cheslin Kolbe — were among the 12 players on the list.

Springbok Ox Nche

“His humour can be seen in his motto ‘salads don’t win scrums’! A real character of rugby with all the tools in his locker. His handling has improved remarkably in open play, he puts in a tremendous work ethic into his breakdown and defensive work, and, for a man of 5’8″, his stature and explosive power makes him almost impossible to contain, especially for the bigger tightheads who simply cannot match his control of scrummaging height,” Campese said of the Springbok front rower.

“In a land where the scrum is everything, Ox has become a national hero, and rightly so!”

Springbok Pieter-Steph du Toit

Campese continued: “Now one of the greatest Boks of all time, he showed his versatility in the Rugby Championship and Autumn Nations Series by filling in at lock as well as his usual blindside flank. He’s scoring more tries now than at any point in his career – partly down to the evolution of the Springbok style, partly down to the evolution of his own skill-set,” Campo said of the two-time World Rugby Player of the Year.

“Alongside another of my picks, Eben Etzebeth, I can’t think of a player that’s contributed more to South African rugby than Du Toit and his sheer consistency and incredible abrasion sets the standards for other back-rows to imitate.”

Springbok Eben Etzebeth

“If Antoine Dupont is the greatest back in the world, then Eben is the forward standing alongside him. Brutally uncompromising, he has an understanding of rugby that belies the perception of him as the Springboks enforcer. His intelligence is what makes the difference when charging down off the side of rucks, when pushing every law at the breakdown and also controlling the incredible innovations we see from the Springbok lineout,” the Wallaby legend said.

“There’s claims he’s the greatest Springbok of all time and I’d certainly agree I haven’t seen many, if any, better.”

Springbok Cheslin Kolbe

“In a land of giants, the little man is our very own Lilliputian genius, taking out the big men and making fools of them for a pastime,” Campese said of his first backline pick.

“His athletic ability is remarkable; this is a player who wins contact against the world’s best back-rowers, who claims high balls against opponents that are 10 cms taller and consistently makes defences look like clumsy fools,” he added of the Springbok pocket rocket.

“As a former winger myself, and one that by even the standards of my era that wasn’t the biggest, it’s great to see the likes of Cheslin succeeding within the modern power game and just like Etzebeth, he’s always evolving. Rugby is a game for all shapes and sizes and Kolbe is living proof that skill and talent will thrive in any era.”

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE CURRENT SPRINGBOK PLAYER?

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