Springboks centre Esterhuizen embraces hybrid role among the forwards

Rassie Erasmus introduces rugby's first ever 'hybrid player'

Innovative Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus called centre-turned-flanker Andre Esterhuizen a “hybrid player” on Saturday after a 54-7 victory over the Barbarians in wet and cold Cape Town. South Africa winger Cheslin Kolbe (left) tackles Barbarians centre Leicester Fainga’anuku at Cape Town Stadium. Image: RODGER BOSCH / AFP When replacement back Andre Esterhuizen came on early in the second half of the non-cap exhibition match for the world …

Andre Esterhuizen's hybrid role: Another game-changer for the Rassie Erasmus' Springboks

Springboks centre Esterhuizen embraces hybrid role among the forwards

CAPE TOWN :The age of the hybrid rugby player may be nearer than many think as world champions South Africa continue to innovate, having intentionally used centre Andre Esterhuizen as a flank in Saturday’s 54-7 win over the Barbarians in Cape Town.Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has spoken at length in the

Boks win big but Rassie says they’re not there yet

By Dylan Bettencourt The Springboks opened their 2025 season with a 54-7 victory, but Rassie Erasmus says there’s still a lot to fix in the team. Erasmus warned fans not to get carried away and said Italy, who beat Namibia by 70 points, will be tough to beat. The Springboks ran in eight tries to thrash the Barbarians 54–7 in their first game of 2025. But coach Rassie Erasmus wasn’t in a celebratory mood after the match in rainy Cape Town. “I’m…

Rassie Erasmus lifts lid on Andre Esterhuizen experiment and the role Felix Jones played

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has shed light on the decision to deploy Andre Esterhuizen as a replacement back-row in their win over the Barbarians.

Esterhuizen embraces ‘hybrid’ role

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 Este…