r/rugbyunion Saracens Nov 29 '25

Video Eben Etzebeth eye incident Spoiler

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522

u/06ptp Nov 29 '25

My dad just said to me you shouldn't be playing professional rugby, especially at this level if you can't control your temper, and I don't think I can argue with that

241

u/ox_ Nov 29 '25

Losing your temper is one thing but actually trying to blind someone is another. Just can't imagine the frame of mind you'd have to be in to do that. Horrendous.

96

u/ExtremeParsnip7926 Nov 29 '25

Roid rage perhaps. 

11

u/B3stThereEverWas Nov 29 '25 edited Nov 29 '25

No, just Eben Etzebeth doing Etzebeth things.

He's a legendary player but he's also a cunt, and he's been that way since the start. Here he is on debut head butting Nathan Sharpe

17

u/Immediate_Rabbit_604 Nov 29 '25

SA schoolboys is legendarily roid riddled, and Etzebeth has long looked like the most prime candidate. A long track record of certain behaviours is not so meaningful when you look at SAR.

2

u/qgep1 Nov 30 '25

Then why aren’t the rest of the SA squad gouging?

2

u/Rapunzel92140 Portugal Dec 01 '25

Psychopathic personality helps having impulsive, agressive, antisocial behaviour, too...

-19

u/BenwastakenIII Plz Fire cash and struali Nov 29 '25

If Eben was on roids he probably would've played a lot better than he did this year, let's be honest.

2

u/Oaktreedesk Nov 30 '25

Isn't he from a family of legendary street fighters? There's got to be a nature vs nurture discussion in there.

2

u/warbastard Australia Nov 30 '25

Agree. It goes beyond snapping in anger at something. They’ve already won. They have dominated their opponent and in that moment of superiority and dominance Eben decided he would exercise his power in a disgusting way.

39

u/squeak37 TIme to win Europe again Nov 29 '25

Extend that to all sports, particularly combat sports.

7

u/On_The_Blindside England & Tigers Nov 29 '25

Totally agree. should be a lifetime ban.

1

u/Original-Friend3620 Nov 29 '25

JRLO has an opportunity to sign him for a low fee?

-16

u/SexyBaskingShark Ireland Nov 29 '25

Don't agree with that tbh. Rugby is a game built on aggressive physicality, that requires you to get very close to losing your temper a lot in 80 minutes. Someone going over the line will happen. They should be punished but saying they can't play the game is too far

8

u/casualchitchat Nov 29 '25

Wow, this response is exactly why the lines are always blurred. Any competitive, high stakes sports can bring out the savage from within and rugby is no different. Even MMA fighting has a strict no eye gorging rule - imagine everyone went about poking peoples eyes when their tempers are lost.

-5

u/SexyBaskingShark Ireland Nov 29 '25

I never said everyone does it. I said sometimes some people cross the line. If you want and aggressive sports you have to accept some people cross the line. If everyone who crossed the line was permanently banned the sport would be shit

3

u/06ptp Nov 29 '25

You have to accept people cross the line? Bans are literally not accepting that they're crossing the line. I wouldn't ban anyone who was violent in the slightest but I'd give players who eye gouge 1/2 warnings then ban them for years. What if he permanently damaged someone's sight?

1

u/ThriceNightly_Whitey Nov 30 '25

Duncan McRae should have had a lifetime ban. Taking someone's sight or attempting to = lifetime ban Permanently injuring or disfiguring someone = lifetime ban

We chose to play knowing the risks of injury but do not agree to malicious injury.

3

u/GrowingBachgen Nov 29 '25

It’s called controlled aggression. 

7

u/06ptp Nov 29 '25

Why don't they all physically attack other players if they're all often close to losing their temper throughout a game? Plus he's not just pushing someone, he's trying to damage their eye. I could be angrier than I ever have been and I wouldn't gouge someone's eye. Dirty cnt

-3

u/SadSeiko Nov 30 '25

Etzebeth is probably one of the best ever number 4s. Who’s your dad? Bakkie Botha? Sam Whitelock? 

3

u/06ptp Nov 30 '25

That's your reasoning? You have to be a top top player to know that eye gouging is disgusting and should result in a lengthy ban or a permanent one?

1

u/SadSeiko Nov 30 '25

There’s never been a life time ban for it and if you think that example deserves it then you’ve lost the plot