Andre Esterhuizen’s evolution has reached a new level thanks to Rassie Erasmus, the battering ram centre packing down at flank during the Springboks’ rout of the Barbarians, reports DEVIN HERMANUS.
On Saturday, the hulking Esterhuizen came off the bench early in the second half of a 54-7 win at Cape Town Stadium to fulfil an unconventional role that saw him scrum and join lineouts.
Erasmus, the mastermind behind the Bomb Squad, revealed the Esterhuizen experiment has been months in the making. “You can call him a hybrid player – he is a backline player who can also play in the forwards now,” the Bok chief told reporters.
“You can have a forward covering a back position like [flanker] Kwagga Smith covering wing, and you can have a back covering a forward position, like Andre.
READ: Rassie satisfied with ‘good hit-out’
“We started chatting to Andre about it five months ago; now he is a backline player who can also play as a forward.”
Esterhuizen, himself, has embraced the challenge. “It was a good experience, and a good attribute for the future,” the World Cup winner said. “I’m definitely willing to learn and slot into a bit of a hybrid role.
“It will help me as a player and, obviously, it can help the team as well.”
The Sharks midfielder has sharpened his distribution skills to thrive in South Africa’s gameplan under attack guru Tony Brown, while his time playing alongside Marcus Smith and Danny Care at Harlequins transformed him into the perfect fit for a running rugby style.
Now, Esterhuizen’s versatility adds another dimension to Erasmus’ tactical arsenal, potentially allowing more flexibility in selection and bench composition as the Boks build toward the Rugby Championship and that World Cup three-peat in 2027.
RECAP: Eight-try Boks strike 50 in season opener
“We obviously spoke about it, and we came to an agreement. I said I would like to try it, and it gives you so much more options,” the 31-year-old said. “I was actually just waiting for that conversation to happen sometime.
“It has been brought up in the past, and then just shrugged off for different reasons and by different people.
“But as I get older, you learn how you can slot in everywhere, and how you can get yourself in the team more constantly. You have to adapt as a player. I’m looking forward to what it can be, and what it can work out to be.”
Despite Saturday’s comprehensive scoreline, Esterhuizen maintained perspective ahead of the two Tests against Italy – kicking off next week – and a clash with Georgia in the Republic.
“It doesn’t matter what game you play, you always have to learn. If you win by 50, if you lose by 50, there’s always some things you can do better,” he said.
“I know the score was high but it was still a physical, hard match. The intensity was high and, yes, the conditions were not the best, but that’s the thing about Test rugby – you need to be able to play in any weather.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
