Springbok flanker Kwagga Smith has thrown his full support behind centre Andre Esterhuizen's blossoming hybrid role, with just a slight tweak needed at the flank. Esterhuizen, usually spotted in the midfield, has recently been seen locking down the scrum's edge—first against the Barbarians in Cape Town and again facing Italy in Port Elizabeth after Jasper Wiese was sent off with a red card. With a clash against Argentina on the horizon this Saturday at Kings Park, Esterhuizen may just reprise this versatile role.
"Andre's a beast," Smith remarked with a chuckle, recalling their days playing sevens together. "Back then, he was the tighthead prop to my hooker. We've been shoulder to shoulder in the thick of it, and he's got the size and the grit to handle the forwards."
"I’ve known Andre for a long time. We actually played sevens together – he was a tighthead prop and I was a hooker – so we packed down next to each other in the forwards. He’s got the size and physicality, and he is massive."
Smith pointed out that while Esterhuizen has taken to most aspects of his new position like a duck to water, the set-pieces remain a frontier yet to be mastered. "In lineouts and scrums, that's where the fine-tuning comes in. But let me tell you, in open play? The man's a natural. Our game often stretches wide and that suits him just fine."
"The only area he could get a little better at is the technical stuff in the lineouts and scrums. In attack and defence, we [loose forwards] often operate with width or out in the channels, so that’s not much different from playing centre,"
The Bok flank also highlighted Esterhuizen's eagerness to absorb new skills, noting his proactive approach during training sessions. "Andre’s been hammering away at the set-pieces. He's up there practicing lineout lifts whenever he can. If we need him at No. 6, he's not just ready; he's geared up for it. Watching him evolve is going to be a treat for all of us."
As the Boks gear up to take on Argentina, the potential of seeing Esterhuizen fill this hybrid role again adds an intriguing layer to the upcoming match. With his size, skill set, and Smith's endorsing words, Esterhuizen is shaping up to be a key figure in the Springboks' strategy.
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Springbok flanker Kwagga Smith has thrown his full support behind centre Andre Esterhuizen's blossoming hybrid role, with just a slight tweak needed at the flank. Esterhuizen, usually spotted in the midfield, has recently been seen locking down the scrum's edge—first against the Barbarians in Cape Town and again facing Italy in Port Elizabeth after Jasper Wiese was sent off with a red card. With a clash against Argentina on the horizon this Saturday at Kings Park, Esterhuizen may just reprise this versatile role.
"Andre's a beast," Smith remarked with a chuckle, recalling their days playing sevens together. "Back then, he was the tighthead prop to my hooker. We've been shoulder to shoulder in the thick of it, and he's got the size and the grit to handle the forwards."
"I’ve known Andre for a long time. We actually played sevens together – he was a tighthead prop and I was a hooker – so we packed down next to each other in the forwards. He’s got the size and physicality, and he is massive."
Smith pointed out that while Esterhuizen has taken to most aspects of his new position like a duck to water, the set-pieces remain a frontier yet to be mastered. "In lineouts and scrums, that's where the fine-tuning comes in. But let me tell you, in open play? The man's a natural. Our game often stretches wide and that suits him just fine."
"The only area he could get a little better at is the technical stuff in the lineouts and scrums. In attack and defence, we [loose forwards] often operate with width or out in the channels, so that’s not much different from playing centre,"
The Bok flank also highlighted Esterhuizen's eagerness to absorb new skills, noting his proactive approach during training sessions. "Andre’s been hammering away at the set-pieces. He's up there practicing lineout lifts whenever he can. If we need him at No. 6, he's not just ready; he's geared up for it. Watching him evolve is going to be a treat for all of us."
As the Boks gear up to take on Argentina, the potential of seeing Esterhuizen fill this hybrid role again adds an intriguing layer to the upcoming match. With his size, skill set, and Smith's endorsing words, Esterhuizen is shaping up to be a key figure in the Springboks' strategy.