Eben Etzebeth has cleared the air with Bakkies Botha: 'We'll have a beer again'

Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth says he and former Bok enforcer Bakkies Botha have buried the hatchet.

The two Bok legends grabbed the headlines in February when Botha criticised Etzebeth's efforts at French club Toulon.

After Etzebeth announced he had signed a new deal with the Sharks, Botha said in an interview with French publication Midi Olympique that Etzebeth "only shows his best face with the Springboks".

Botha, who played 85 Tests for the Boks, finished his career at Toulon where he won several accolades. During his stint at Toulon between 2011 and 2015, the club won the European Champions Cup three times and one Top 14 title.

Etzebeth wasn't impressed by Botha's comments and wrote on social media at the time: "Noted. Next time you want to ENFORCE an opinion, you've got my number."

But the two have since made up, with Etzebeth saying he'd been in contact with Botha.

"When I retire one day I won't go around saying things about fellow Boks, so I was caught a bit off guard," Etzebeth told Jim Hamilton in a video interview with RugbyPass published on Sunday.

"As players we get quite a lot of grief from fans, and now one of your own are also giving you some s**t. I was a bit angry, surprised and disappointed in the comments.

"We spoke after that and all sorted, there's no hard feelings. Bakkies rang me, and we spoke and he said it was taken out of context a bit. I also read the article. We solved it and when we see each other in South Africa again we'll have a beer again. So yes, all good."

Etzebeth, who boasts 97 Test caps, said personal circumstances played the biggest role in his decision to return to play in South Africa. 

He reports for duty at the Sharks in July after signing a long-term contract until 2027.