Wales have an 'equipoise' for André the Giant
SPOTLIGHT: The inclusion of André Esterhuizen is one of the 14 changes to a Springbok team that has the global game abuzz with accounts of its merits.
‘André the giant’, as he is affectionately known in the game, will be unleashed by South Africa against Wales in the second Test of a three-match series in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The 192cm, 102kg inside centre is no stranger to Wales – or the man most likely to oppose him, Nick Tompkins.
Tompkins is a man that appeared to have ‘coped well’ with Esterhuizen in the Premiership semifinal between Saracens (Tompkins’ team) and Harlequins (who Esterhuizen played for) last month – a game Saracens won 34-17, with Tompkins scoring one of his team’s five tries.
Scott Baldwin, a former Harlequins teammate of Esterhuizen and a 34-times capped Wales hooker, also faced the Bok powerhouse when playing for another Premiership outfit Worcester Warriors.
“I was thinking: ‘The last thing I need is André coming off the back of a line-out here’,” Baldwin said of a game between Worcester and Quins.
“He is a handful,” the veteran hooker told the website WalesOnline, adding: “Has been in outstanding form and was recently the players’ choice as Premiership player of the year.
“He’s been unbelievable for Quins for the past two seasons.”
On Saturday in Bloemfontein Wales have to deal with ‘André the giant is’.
Baldwin said Esterhuizen has a ‘nasty streak’ on the pitch.
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“When he’s off the field, he’s completely different, but give him the ball during a game and if he has options of running around you or running through you, he’ll want to run through you.
“He’s hard to deal with on it.
“In the Saracens v Harlequins semifinal, he even bumped Billy Vunipola – and Billy got a yellow card for it.”
Wales will hope that Tompkins will cope with Esterhuizen in the same manner he did when they met in the Premiership contest.
According to media reports from the match Tompkins missed nothing on defence and excelled on attack.
Esterhuizen did beat six Sarries defenders, but he didn’t make one clean break.
Tompkins was credited for his ‘intelligence and alertness’ on defence.
Baldwin said Wales has in George North another powerful attacking runner.
North made just one run in the first Test – lost 29-32 by Wales – in Pretoria last Saturday.
North’s duties were mainly confined to defence.
“I’d like to see Wales get the ball to George a bit more,” Baldwin told WalesOnline.
“In the Ospreys versus Scarlets game at the end of April, not everyone picked up on the influence he had on the match. \
“The Scarlets were winning at half-time, then George came on at No.13 and Keelan Giles had an unbelievable second half.
“The thing that a lot of people missed was that the Scarlets had to use two players to defend George. It created the space to give Keelan an extra two to three metres on the outside. Whether he’s running hard or creating space for others, George is a big player.
“Opposition sides have to defend him. Some players may think ‘I’ll keep half an eye on him, I know I have time to get back and cover him’, but if a defender turns his shoulder on George he’s gone. He’s 110kgs and quick with it.
“I’d like to see the ball reaching him more off starter plays, even if it means using him at 12 for first phase.
“You wouldn’t want him running straight at André, but just get him involved as much as possible.
“He’s so powerful and he has a really good skillset for a big man, something people forget.”
Source: WalesOnline
