Veteran lock Eben Etzebeth extended his record as the most capped Springbok of all time to 141 matches in South Africa’s final Test of 2025 against Wales in Cardiff.
It was, however, a forgettable outing for the second-rower, who was shown a red card for eye-gouging and banned for 12 matches by a judiciary panel.
The final match of his ban will take place on 27 March 2026.
He won’t miss any Springbok Tests during that period.
Only one active player ahead
Eben Etzebeth is tied with retired Ireland and British & Irish Lions great Brian O’Driscoll in seventh place in the all-time leading Tests played list.
Only one player ahead of him, All Blacks star Beauden Barrett (144 Tests), is still active.
Etzebeth trails overall leader Alun Wyn Jones (Wales – 170 caps) and second-placed Sam Whitelock (New Zealand – 153 caps) by 29 and nine Tests, respectively.
Considering that Etzebeth played 10 (of 14) official Springbok Tests in 2025 (eight as a starter, two off the bench), one can realistically expect the Springbok star to pass Whitelock in 2026.
Test calendar
As at the time of publishing, the Springboks have 11 confirmed Tests this calendar year, comprising seven in the new Nations Championship, and a four-Test series against the All Blacks.
Don’t be surprised if at least one other match – an official Test or not – is added to the calendar.
At still only 34 years of age, there is plenty of time for Eben Etzebeth to further climb the list before he hangs up his studs, possibly after the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
| Rank | Caps | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 170 | Alun Wyn Jones | Wales (158), British and Irish Lions (12) |
| 2 | 153 | Sam Whitelock | New Zealand |
| 3 | 150 | James Slipper | Australia |
| 4 | 148 | Richie McCaw | New Zealand |
| 5 | 144 | Beauden Barrett * | New Zealand |
| 6 | 142 | Sergio Parisse | Italy |
| T7 | 141 | Brian O’Driscoll | Ireland (133), British and Irish Lions (8) |
| T7 | 141 | Eben Etzebeth * | South Africa |
| 9 | 139 | George Gregan | Australia |
| 10 | 137 | Cian Healy | Ireland |
*denotes still active
| Full names: Eben Etzebeth |
| Date of birth: 29 October 1991 |
| Place of birth: Cape Town |
| School: Tygerberg |
| Springbok #833 |
| Physical: 2.03m, 117kg |
| Current age: 34 |
| Test summary: Tests: 141 Tries: 9 |
| First Test: 9 June 2012 – Lock against England at Kings Park, Durban |
| Last Test: 29 November 2025 – Reserve against Wales at Principality Stadium, Cardiff |
How many Tests will Eben Etzebeth have played by the time he retires?
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