The 'giant change' that resuscitated the Sharks' season
Adriaan Pieter Esterhuizen was originally nicknamed Andre the Giant and sometimes The Juggernaut. Now he is just called The Hybrid.
Standing at 1.93 meters and known for his immense physical presence, destructive ball carrying, and big tackles, this nickname reflects his powerhouse stature in the midfield for both the Springboks and his domestic teams.
However, last year André Esterhuizen earned fame as the Springboks’ new ‘hybrid’, a midfielder that can also play of the flank.
Now capped 29 times, he seamlessly moved between the midfield and back row positions.
Recently, there was another significant change in his life.
Sharks interim coach Jon-Paul Roger Pietersen named Esterhuizen as the Sharks captain, ahead of Springbok captains Siya Kolisi and Bongi Mbonambi.
From a team that conceded more than 50 points in a loss to Stade Toulousain, the Sharks have become a URC contender with wins over Saracens, Bulls, Clermont and last week the Stormers.
Pietersen was full of praise for Esterhuizen, who was at the heart of a Sharks performance that saw them bully the Stormers into submission in their home town.
Pietersen was keen to give credit to the players for the victory over the previously unbeaten Stormers, especially the senior Springboks in his squad.
“Andre [Esterhuizen] did well,” the coach said, adding: “When he plays well, the team plays well.
“I love the way he carries the team.”
Pietersen revealed that handing Esterhuizen the captaincy was the biggest call he made since taking over from John Plumtree in December.
It is a move that is paying dividends.
“He’s an old Shark boy,” Pietersen said, adding: “He knows Durban inside out, lives and breathes Durban.
“His actions say a lot more than his words.”
* (WATCH as JP Pietersen and André Esterhuizen talk about the captaincy call that turned the Sharks’ season around…..)
Esterhuizen, 31 and capped 29 times, did his best tap-dance and played down his influence on the team.
“It was a buy-in from all the players and being on the same page,” he said.
He spoke of finding the captaincy ‘ a bit strange’, but is beginning to settle down in the leadership role.
“It wasn’t under the best circumstances that I came in,” he said of the departure of Plumtree.
“When you have the backing of the boys [players] and the backing of the coaches, it makes it so much easier.”
Esterhuizen said that you can’t expect someone to tackle a task if you are not willing go and do it yourself.
“If you want to change something, you need to do it yourself so that people can follow you.”
* Meanwhile, it has been revealed that former Bok wing Stefan Terblanche, assistant coach Grant Bashford and highly experienced mentor Alan Zondagh have been brought in as ‘advisers’.
The trio will play a key advisory role, including offering guidance on the management of the interim coach, Pietersen, and potential changes within the Sharks’ coaching and high-performance structures.
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