Latest news with #AndréEsterhuizen
The Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Unpredictable and powerful: Esterhuizen's hybrid threat boosts Boks against Wallabies
Springbok supporters must wait until Saturday afternoon to see if centre André Esterhuizen will reprise his role as a hybrid player against the Wallabies in the opening Rugby Championship Test. Esterhuizen was coy about giving anything away ahead of the duel as the world champions look to maintain their unbeaten run in the 2025 season against the Australians. He will partner with outside centre Jesse Kriel at Ellis Park in what should be an exciting midfield combination next to scrumhalf Grant Williams and flyhalf Manie Libbok. They will have the task to set the outside backs, wingers Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe, and fullback Aphelele Fassi in space on the attack. 'I can't disclose that,' Esterhuizen said when asked about his hybrid role. 'We will have to wait and see. However, we are looking forward to an exciting game. It has been building up for the last two weeks. Not the first Test, but if you look at how the Wallabies played against the Lions, they improved. They were physical in those games, and that is the battle we expect. 'Any time a team plays South Africa, the first thing they focus on is to meet us with physicality. But we are well-prepared for that. The last two weeks, we have grafted in camp and everyone put in the hours. The bodies felt it.' According to Esterhuizen, it has been a lot easier this week as they prepared for the Test with their legs not feeling the hard work as they did during the camp. The Boks acknowledged that they had to increase their physicality, as evident in the last three Tests against Georgia, and that is what they have worked on. As a group, the Springboks felt they were not at the desired level after those matches, and they needed to pick up their fitness and physicality. On the development of his game and getting more playing minutes, Esterhuizen said the rotation policy at the Boks allowed him to take the pressure off and focus on his game when called upon.
IOL News
3 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Unpredictable and powerful: Esterhuizen's hybrid threat boosts Boks against Wallabies
Springbok inside centre André Esterhuizen will look to put in some more bulldozing runs on Saturday against Australia in the first Rugby Championship Test in Johannesburg. Image: Backpagepix Springbok supporters must wait until Saturday afternoon to see if centre André Esterhuizen will reprise his role as a hybrid player against the Wallabies in the opening Rugby Championship Test. Esterhuizen was coy about giving anything away ahead of the duel as the world champions look to maintain their unbeaten run in the 2025 season against the Australians. He will partner with outside centre Jesse Kriel at Ellis Park in what should be an exciting midfield combination next to scrumhalf Grant Williams and flyhalf Manie Libbok. They will have the task to set the outside backs, wingers Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe, and fullback Aphelele Fassi in space on the attack. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'I can't disclose that,' Esterhuizen said when asked about his hybrid role. 'We will have to wait and see. However, we are looking forward to an exciting game. It has been building up for the last two weeks. Not the first Test, but if you look at how the Wallabies played against the Lions, they improved. They were physical in those games, and that is the battle we expect. 'Any time a team plays South Africa, the first thing they focus on is to meet us with physicality. But we are well-prepared for that. The last two weeks, we have grafted in camp and everyone put in the hours. The bodies felt it.' The #Springboks are braced for a battle-hardened Wallabies in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship opener at Ellis Park.#ForeverGreenForeverGold — Springboks (@Springboks) August 14, 2025 According to Esterhuizen, it has been a lot easier this week as they prepared for the Test with their legs not feeling the hard work as they did during the camp. The Boks acknowledged that they had to increase their physicality, as evident in the last three Tests against Georgia, and that is what they have worked on. As a group, the Springboks felt they were not at the desired level after those matches, and they needed to pick up their fitness and physicality. On the development of his game and getting more playing minutes, Esterhuizen said the rotation policy at the Boks allowed him to take the pressure off and focus on his game when called upon.
Daily Maverick
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Masterclass in misdirection: Why the Springboks' hybrid player strategy will keep opponents guessing
The biggest takeaway from André Esterhuizen's ground-breaking cameo on the flank is that opposition coaches Scott Robertson, Fabien Galthié and Andy Farrell won't know what to expect when they tackle the Springboks later this season. Springbok fans have come to know and love the Bomb Squad, and all of its iterations. Since 2019, Rassie Erasmus has challenged the status quo by stacking his bench with some of the world's leading players. The split between forwards and backs has become a national talking point, with Erasmus deploying six and occasionally seven heavies from the bench to close out big matches. Like many of Erasmus' strategies, the Bomb Squad is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. While the Boks typically announce their team on a Tuesday, it's not always clear what Erasmus intends to do on matchday, and indeed, who will play where. Over the past seven seasons, locks have been used in the back row, flanks have been deployed at hooker, and Kwagga Smith — the 'OG' hybrid player — has switched from flank to wing. The modern game demands that every individual in a squad covers more than one position, and yet Erasmus and company have taken the utility concept further than any other side. If recent evidence is anything to go by, the Boks have unlocked the next level. Next level of hybrid player When the Boks played the Barbarians at the Cape Town Stadium last Saturday, Erasmus showed the world yet another tactical picture. Around the 45th minute, the Bok coach made eight substitutions simultaneously, which is in itself out of the ordinary. Specialist inside centre André Esterhuizen jogged onto the pitch with the rest of the subs — and at that point, the bench formation appeared to be a five-three split between forwards and backs. When the starting midfield combination of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel remained on the field, a few of us in the press box wondered if Kriel might shift to wing to accommodate the new centre. Up in the coaching box, Barbarians boss Robbie Deans may have been thinking along similar lines. But after the next scrum was set, it became clear that the 1.93m, 116kg Esterhuizen was playing flank rather than centre, and that South Africa's bench split was six-two rather than five-three. The forward-heavy formation provided the Boks with more power in the closing stages, and they continued to punish the Barbarians en route to an emphatic 54-7 victory. Misdirection and double bluffs In recent seasons, most of the Six Nations teams have favoured a forward-heavy bench, with France going as far as to copy and paste the Boks' seven-one formation that made its debut at the 2023 World Cup. Other teams have developed an answer to Smith — with Ben Earl covering centre as well as the back row for England. But until now, no one has been bold or crazy enough to use a backline player in the forwards. The Bok coaches and players have spoken at length about the tactic in recent days, as they prepare for the Test-season opener against Italy at Loftus Versfeld. The move could maximise the talents of Esterhuizen — who has been a fringe player within the national set-up since 2018 — and strengthen the Bomb Squad in the long term. Erasmus admitted as much at the team announcement this week. Esterhuizen is unlikely to get much game time as a specialist inside centre, given Damian de Allende's hold on the No 12 jersey. But as a hybrid player with the rare ability to cover backline and forward positions, Esterhuizen could become more of a feature in South Africa's matchday squad in seasons to come. Does this mean that Erasmus has revealed his hand, or will it add yet another layer to the guessing game that precedes every Bok team announcement? More significantly, will it force opposition coaches and analysts to invest more time and energy into exploring potential scenarios, whenever they receive the South African teamsheet? Bok assistant coach Daan Human broached the subject earlier this week, confirming that the Esterhuizen innovation will serve the team's interests — and possibly lead to a situation where the Boks select an eight-zero split on the bench. And yet, if Esterhuizen is named on the bench in that scenario, the opposition won't know whether Erasmus intends to use him as a forward or back until he takes the field. As a result, it will be harder to anticipate South Africa's strategy in that crucial period of the game. Hybrid alternatives Human put things into perspective recently when he said that Esterhuizen was bigger and heavier than some of the forwards in the Bok side. Which begs the question: Is Esterhuizen the only backline player capable of making the switch, and does South Africa's newest tactical ploy hinge on the availability of one player? You can bet your bottom dollar that Erasmus is considering other options, but when you look at what's available at the franchises, there aren't many players who tick all those boxes. De Allende has packed down at flank before, when the forwards have lost a man to the sin bin. While he is 10kg lighter than Esterhuizen — another figure that puts the size of 'Andre the Giant' into perspective — he has the power and the mentality to mix it with the forwards, and fits the requirement of a hybrid player. The Boks could become even less predictable if they hand De Allende the role. Imagine a scenario where De Allende starts a Test at centre and finishes at flank. As was the case in the recent game against the Barbarians, Erasmus could announce a matchday squad that has five recognised forwards on the bench, before going on to use an extra forward option in the Test itself. De Allende (33) is one of the older players in the squad, and Erasmus will have to manage the veteran centre's workload in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup. Esterhuizen was completely exhausted after putting in a 35-minute shift at the Cape Town Stadium, especially around the scrums and mauls. It's clear that the hybrid role will require a different approach to conditioning and workload management — and Erasmus has confirmed that they will bear this in mind. Guessing game The innovation has got people talking before a two-Test series that the Boks should win comfortably. Erasmus hasn't picked Esterhuizen for the first match at Loftus Versfeld this Saturday, and the six-two bench formation may appear somewhat conservative — until you start to wonder whether Franco Mostert will play lock or flank in the second stanza, and whether De Allende might shift to flank later in the match. Erasmus has made sure that every player in the current squad understands their role and when and where they will play over the two Tests against Italy and the one-off against Georgia. Outside the squad, the media and public will continue to speculate about the lineups, as will the Boks' future opponents. How will the opposition react to the picture that was presented at the Cape Town Stadium last week? Is it a sign of things to come against the All Blacks at Eden Park, France in Paris, and Ireland in Dublin later this year — or merely a well calculated bluff? Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Esterhuizen's cameo and the 'hidden' six-two split is that Scott Robertson, Fabien Galthié and Andy Farrell won't know what to expect — not in the months leading up to those marquee matches, not in the week before, and not until the moment when the Bok subs are deployed. The Tests season has only just begun, but Erasmus is already in their heads. DM
IOL News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Sharks grind out URC win over Scarlets, face Munster in quarters, Stormers get Glasgow
André Esterhuizen Sharks centre André Esterhuizen barges through the Scarlets defence at Kings Park on Saturday night. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix Sharks fans watched this match with one hand over an eye as their team arm-wrestled to a 12-3 victory over the Scarlets in Durban on Saturday night, as they steered themselves to third place on the United Rugby Championship log. Leinster beat the Glasgow Warriors 13-5 in the last match of the weekend, which saw the Sharks finish third and avoid the uncomfortable proposition of hosting the Stormers in a quarter-final. The Sharks will now instead host Munster, while the Stormers have to travel to Glasgow to take on the defending champions at Scotstoun Stadium. Before the match kicked off, there was a wonderful gesture from Sharks captain Eben Etzebeth in respect of last week's passing of former Springbok Cornal Hendricks. Today in honour of Cornal Hendricks 🤍 Our Hollywoodbets Sharks players, in an initiative led by our captain Eben Etzebeth, will have the number 14 on their warm-up jerseys. These jerseys will be signed and sold on Monday. All proceeds from the sale of these jerseys will go to… — The Sharks (@SharksRugby) May 17, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Etzebeth had arranged for an image of Hendricks in a Springbok jersey to be placed on the team's warm-up jerseys, and each player autographed them for auction. The proceeds are to go to Hendricks' family. As it turned out, Etzebeth was voted Player of the Match, and that was fitting considering his gesture towards Hendricks. The Bok No 4 was colossal for the Sharks as they ground out a victory in which no tries were scored by either side. There was an expectation among many Sharks supporters that victory over the Scarlets was a matter of course, but this was a Welsh team playing a 'final' of sorts. They went into this game in a precarious eighth position and with plenty at stake. Just like the Sharks, they wanted to finish as high on the log position as possible in the scramble towards the United Rugby Championship quarter-finals. It meant an arm-wrestle from the first whistle, and while the Sharks had the better of the admittedly tight opportunities in the first half, they could not score because of clumsy finishing. The Scarlets also had chances to score, but they were cut short by superb cover tackling by the likes of wings Ethan Hooker and Makazole Mapimpi, and centres Jurenzo Julius and André Esterhuizen. It was a minute before halftime that the Sharks scored the first points of the match, a penalty by Siya Masuku, but as the hooter sounded, Sam Costelow out of nowhere struck a drop goal to call it 3-3. It was a brilliant strike by the Wales flyhalf, who overall was one of the better players on the night. Costelow's drop kick made it all the more telling when his opposite number Masuku went off injured 12 minutes into the second half and had to be replaced at No 10 by Aphelele Fassi, with Yaw Penxe coming on at fullback. The Sharks had no specialist flyhalf on the bench, and Fassi's first duty at flyhalf was to strike home a penalty to put the Sharks 6-3 ahead 15 minutes into the second half. It was coolly done by Fassi, and he emulated the job 15 minutes later as the game hit the 60-minute mark. The Sharks had been relentlessly beating down on the Scarlets' defence, and the penalty came their way. It was more of the same for the Sharks as they worked another penalty for Fassi to show he has goal-kicking prowess. Points-Scorers Sharks 12 – Penalties: Siya Masuku (1), Aphelele Fassi (3). Scarlets 3 – Drop Goal: Sam Costelow (1). URC Quarter-Finals (weekend of May 30-31) Dublin: Leinster v Scarlets Pretoria: Bulls v Edinburgh Durban: Sharks v Munster Glasgow: Glasgow Warriors v Stormers
The Citizen
09-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
URC result: Sharks secure bonus-point win against Ospreys in Durban
The Sharks have re-signalled their intent to finish as high on the URC table as they can after a dominant performance against the Welsh side, winning 29–10. Sharks lock Jason Jenkins scores his team's first try against Ospreys at Kings Park Stadium. Picture: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images The Sharks' dream of a top-two finish in the United Rugby Championship is alive and well after a commanding bonus-point win over the Ospreys at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on Friday. The 29–10 result means the Sharks still lie fourth on the table. However, they are even on points with the Bulls and lie just one point behind Glasgow Warriors, who, although they have a game in hand, have tough away fixtures against Benetton and URC leaders Leinster left this season. The gap in skill between the Sharks and 11th-ranked Ospreys was evident just about from the get-go. The Sharks, also playing at home, proved better in discipline and won most of the contests at the breakdown. The players who led with the most carries, line breaks, and turnovers all came from the Durban side. The only blemish on the Sharks' performance was an injury to captain Eben Etzebeth, who has already missed much of the season recovering from a concussion. Sharks dominate Ospreys The Ospreys wasted no time putting points on the board, securing a penalty kick within the first minute of the game. It was the first and only time the visitors led on the scoreboard. The Sharks responded nine minutes later with lock Jason Jenkins crashing over for a converted try. The score remained unchanged with the Sharks applying pressure until centre André Esterhuizen broke the line to score in the 34th minute. That left it 14–3 at the break. Ethan Hooker extended the lead after Ospreys spilled an up-and-under in the 52nd minute. However, Ospreys pulled one back right at the start of the final quarter through a try from a maul from substitute Sam Parry. That made it 21–10 to the Sharks. But it was not to be. Sharks substitute Phepsi Buthelezi scored the bonus-point try from a gorgeous cross kick by Aphelele Fassi in the 65th minute to put the result beyond doubt. Scorers Sharks: Tries – Jason Jenkins, André Esterhuizen, Ethan Hooker, Phepsi Buthelezi. Conversions – Siya Masuku 2/3, Aphelele Fassi 1/1. Penalties – Masuku 1/1. Ospreyss: Tries – Sam Parry . Conversions – Dan Edwards 1/1. Penalties – Edwards 1/1.
