AUDIO: Rassie on new Springbok hybrid
Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus is renowned for innovations, and on Saturday, there were no shortages of them as he created another ‘hybrid’ role.
South Africa supporters have become accustomed to a forward dabbling in the backline in the form of Kwagga Smith.
The flank, with his sevens background, is regularly used as a wing when the Springboks opt for a six-two split (six forwards and two backs on the bench).
It is an approach the Boks coaching staff used to great effect during the 2019 and 2023 World Cup campaigns.
That approach has taken on a life of its own, giving way to the ‘Bomb Squad’ phenomenon.
However, in true Springboks fashion during their 54-7 win over the Barbarians, the World Cup champions introduced a new role in the team’s setup.
Erasmus decided to deploy centre André Esterhuizen in the pack.
The Sharks’ star replaced the Bulls’ Marco van Staden in the 45th minute and made quite an impression.
While Esterhuizen still drifted into the midfield at times, his presence among the forwards added another threatening layer to the Boks’ already formidable arsenal.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Erasmus confirmed the plan has been in the making for some months.
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“You can have two ways of looking at it. When you have a 6-2 split, you have Kwagga covering the wing.
“But now, we’re just doing it the other way around – where you have a back covering a forward position, like André covering flanker.
“You can call him a hybrid player.
“However, he is a backline player who can play in the forwards now.
“So if you have three backline injuries, a guy like André gives us the options now, because he has been training with the forwards and backs.
“I must say, Felix Jones handles his load very well in how much he does with the forwards and how much he does with the backs.
“We started chatting to him about five months ago, just to make sure he is a backline player who can also play forward.”
Esterhuizen hoped that the transition was more than a one-off experiment.
“It was a good experience. I trained at flank during the week, and it’s a good attribute for the future.
“I like to learn, and I’m willing to slot into the hybrid role, playing in both forwards and backs.
“It will help me as a player, and obviously it can help the team. Hopefully, we can see more of it.”
Esterhuizen said there were a couple of discussions ahead of utilising the plan.
“Rassie and I spoke about it and came to an agreement. I told him I’d like to try it – it gives you so many more options.”
At 31, with a wealth of emerging talent in the Springbok system, Esterhuizen sees this versatility as a potential career extender.
“I was waiting for the conversation because it had been brought up in the past. But I just shrugged it off.
“However, as you get older, you learn how you can slot in everywhere and how you can get yourself into the team more consistently, and you have to adapt with the players.
“I’m really looking forward to what can be.”
