Bakkies Botha and Eben Etzebeth have locked horns in the media this week, prompting questions over which of the legendary Springbok hard men is the ultimate enforcer.

After the Sharks confirmed Etzebeth’s move back to South Africa to join the Sharks, Botha said he was disappointed that Etzebeth failed to live up to his reputation for the same team that Botha represented while on duty in France.

Etzebeth responded on Twitter by saying: “Noted. Next time you want to ENFORCE an opinion, you’ve got my number.”

Botha is a giant of South African rugby, capped 85 times by the Springboks, and boasts a rugby CV that includes Rugby World Cup, Tri-Nations, Lions Series, Super 14, Currie Cup, Top 14 and Heineken Cup trophies.

Meanwhile, Etzebeth put in a mammoth shift for the Boks in 2021 that put him on the shortlist for SA Rugby’s MVP award in the year they won a series against the British & Irish Lions and topped the All Blacks in Gold Coast. Also a World Cup and Currie Cup winner, Etzebeth is only three Tests away from becoming South Africa’s seventh centurion.

The question remains, which of these two world-class leviathans – in their prime – represents the ultimate enforcer?