Many centres would have nodded in agreement when former Ireland international and current Harlequins defence coach Jerry Flannery characterised Andre Esterhuizen as a tighthead prop wearing a No. 12 shirt, especially those who have had to tackle the 28-year-old.
Esterhuizen is an oddity for a backline player; he weighs 114 kg, is under 2 metres tall, and has tremendous speed. The difficulty the Sharks had in replacing him when he departed for the Harlequins shows how valuable he is.
Esterhuizen joined the Sharks in 2013 after graduating from Klerksdorp High School, and he earned 97 caps (in Super Rugby and the Currie Cup) there before leaving early in 2020 to take advantage of the transfer window that opened in South Africa shortly after the Covid-19 shutdown.
He couldn’t have asked for a larger effect in the English Premiership, and after a standout year, he was chosen as the country’s finest player by his fellow professionals. This precious honour proved that Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber was right to reinstate him for the series against Wales.
Esterhuizen was appropriately handed a start in the second Test in Bloemfontein as a member of a squad that had 14 changes from the group that had eked out a victory in Pretoria the week before.
Not only did the Boks lose, but Esterhuizen fractured his hand and has only just recovered enough to play again. As a result, he has been handed a spot in the “Bomb Squad” for Saturday’s crucial Rugby Championship encounter against Argentina.
Esterhuizen said, “The broken hand was a setback but I am thankful for this chance and I am keen to impress. “Everyone aspires to make the Globe Cup team, and I always give it my all in every game I play, wherever it is in the world,” he said.
This is undoubtedly bad news for the Pumas, particularly for their midfield, since Esterhuizen knows that his main responsibility on the pitch is to create momentum.
The gain-line struggle, in his opinion, will determine the game on Saturday. Since they are such a strong defensive team, “creating front-foot ball is crucial, and we need to be as forceful as we can and really on our game.”
A hungry Esterhuizen who is trying to be as physically aggressive as possible is additional bad news for Argentina.
We will need to outwork them if we want to cross the gain line, said Esterhuizen. They are challenging, particularly in Argentina, but if we are prepared for it, which we are, everything will be OK.
Although Esterhuizen is best known in South Africa for his sledgehammer runs over the gain line, he has had to develop his game at Harlequins, and his offloading abilities are now just as essential.
Since joining Quins, where we like to attack a lot, I’ve played a few different types of rugby, but we all understand the difference between club and Test rugby, said Esterhuizen.
“But, certainly, there may still be opportunity for gentler touches, but only when impetus is present. You must be forward-moving to unload since that is when the space becomes available.
I aim to deliver both brands on Saturday.