Eben Etzebeth praised for standout performance on his return for Toulon
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Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth earned praise from Toulon head coach Patrice Collazo for his role in their side’s 29-23 victory over Racing 92 in Paris on Sunday.
Etzebeth was sidelined through injury following Toulon's 26-14 victory over Sale Sharks in the Champions Cup in mid-December and made his return against Racing 92.
“He played at the level we expect. Tonight I saw a very good Eben Etzebeth, like I saw very good French internationals and very good non-internationals,” Collazo told reporters after the game as per France 24.
“When there are individual performances on a collective basis like that, a team performance follows,” he added.
The 29-year-old was his usual busy self at the breakdown for Toulon but it was his ball skills that stood out, particularly in the early stages of the game.
Etzebeth's link-up play with Bryce Heem and co. lead to a try for Swan Rebbadj in the 12th minute of the game.
He followed that up with an excellent line off the shoulder of Louis Carbonel to break through the Racing 92 defence before he put Baptiste Serin away for the score.
Etzebeth also played a big role in the build-up to Toulon's first try pic.twitter.com/nGpnktxnpP
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) January 18, 2021
Toulon walked away from the Paris La Defense Arena with all four competition points, putting them in good stead for their next scheduled fixture against Stade Francais next week.
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