Andre Estterhuizen off to Harlequins

The following from news 24:-

"English club Harlequins have reportedly agreed terms to sign Springbok and Sharks centre Andre Esterhuizen on a multi-million rand deal.

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According to The Rugby Paper, Esterhuizen will pocket a cool £340 000 (R6.4 million) per year, with the Twickenham-based club apparently winning the race for his signature ahead of a number of other overseas suitors.

Esterhuizen, 25, has been on the Sharks' books since 2013 and has also spent time playing for the Munakata Sanix Blues in Japan.

Esterhuizen's future in South Africa has been in doubt since he was axed from the Springboks' 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning squad, but that now looks to have been sorted with a move to 'Quins home ground, the Stoop.

Esterhuizen will complete his Super Rugby commitments with the Sharks before packing his bags.

Esterhuizen, who stands 1.94m tall and weighs in at 110kg, has played eight Tests for the Springboks."

I hope that he succeeds at Harlequins and do hope for the sake if Harlequins  that he does not become a burden fir them,   He was not up to standard in the game on Sunday,     

Hope he is.

Mike Esterhuizen will be in a professional outfit with a professional coach. My guess is he should improve as a player. We shall see. 

Esterhuisen is an easy read ... totally predictable ... useless.

I guess that's why he was dropped from the WC squad.

I'm sure the Sharks are pleased to be rid of him.

Well, all you rugby pundits who wrote Estterhuizen off as a lost cause must be wondering what made the Harlequins coaching staff decide to offer him a tidy sum to sign a contract and play for them.

The answer is really quite simple......he is a great center and underrated by all of you pundits.

A big loss for Sharks and SA rugby.

All I can do is wish him God's speed and congratulate him on the signing.

Face it Esterhozen could have done everything DudAllende did at the WC...probably a step slower over the hundred....but stronger, smarter and with a useful left boot. All that crash ball which Dud did without ever consequentially beating a tackle except for Biggar’s embarrassing snatch attempt.....Esterhozen smashes through with more consequence.

A good choice by Quins he will be effective up north and with some competent coaching  he may come into his own.

Esterhuizen did much better for the Boks than he gets credit for. It appears to me that people focus on the one or two average outings Esterhuizen had while forgetting a few of the horrors DA had in the green jersey last year as well. Against Australia for example Esterhuizen's defensive work was instrumental in disarming the Oz attack. Kerevi couldn't breach his channel and in rushing and disrupting Foley he did the same thing Steph was tasked to do to Ford in the WC final. Steph got praised heaped on him for that role, Esterhuizen didn't even get a mention.

"...while forgetting a few of the horrors DA had in the green jersey last year"

It goes both ways. It's impossible not to be aware of even the smallest error DdA makes. He is put under a microscope on this site...both good and bad gets distorted beyond recognition. 

It would be interesting to know who the #10 was in the tests that Esterhuizen played in.

Could have played a big part in his test performances.

He was outside Jantjies for his two 2019 tests, mostly outside Pollard in 2018 .

He wasn't bad, but not breaking the Bok dressing room door down either...our centers are a bit iffy ATM.

Wee Dan Biggar made Delande look like a legend in the semi-final. Delande walked over his poor tackle attempt to get the match-winning try. 

Welsh commentator Gareth Thomas said on Skye during the match that his technique has always been poor by going in too high. 

Thanks, Pakie.

Very good centre...much missed in the Sharks team...he was highly rated by his team mates...good fortune to you Andre with the Harlequins...I'm sure he will prove to be a big loss to us.

Paul Gustard Head Coach of Harlequins added:

Upon joining Harlequins, Esterhuizen said: “When the opportunity to play for Harlequins came up, I knew it was the right move for me to develop my career and get the chance to play in the Premiership, as well as experience the European competition, which have always been dreams of mine.

“Paul Gustard and his team are building something special there and to have the chance to work with a young and dynamic coaching group such as Nick Evans and Sean Long is really exciting and I can’t wait to run out at The Stoop and show them what I can bring to the team.”

Head of rugby at Harlequins Paul Gustard added: “Andre is an incredible signing for Harlequins. He is a current Springbok who has the ability to change any game through his raw power and strength in the contact areas.

“His physical abilities are impressive enough, but we were further attracted by his capacity to be a second playmaker, distributing before and through the line. He is a fantastic talent and his addition to our squad is very exciting.

“Besides his ability on the field, which are without debate, he is a tremendous human being. He has the character that we want and at 25 is entering his prime as a player. He will join a backline that we feel can grow together and develop into an elite unit. We look forward to welcoming André and his young family to the club as he embarks on a new journey in his career.”

I think he made a good decision.