Andre Esterhuizen says he is looking forward to facing off against former Harlequins team-mate Marcus Smith when the Springboks face England at Twickenham on Saturday.
The Springbok midfielder spent four seasons alongside Smith in England, where the pair combined to help Harlequins win the 2021 Premier League title.
Saturday night’s game sees Esterhuizen, who returned to the Sharks in September, return to Twickenham to face England’s backline magicians for the first time in his career.
“It’s a really nice space,” Esterhuizen told BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast. “I definitely love playing there.” “It would be better to run towards Marcus instead of chasing him away.
“It will be a great game. England have played well in the last few games. It’s unfortunate that they didn’t get the results they wanted. “I think something big is going to happen.”
Esterhuizen started the Springboks’ opening November tour win over Scotland at Murrayfield as Rassie Erasmus fielded a significantly changed side for the match.
Despite bench captain Siya Kolisi and flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit, the Springboks overcame an error-filled game to win 32-15.
“One of the good things is that now everyone can get game time,” said Esterhuizen, who replaced regular inside center Damian de Allende. “It is also important to look ahead. We need to be able to save all our players and gain experience for the next World Cup.
“The goal is to have two of the best teams in the world in one squad. We want to make participating in slots second nature to people. So if someone steps in, they can just slot in and play just as well, if not better, than the other players.”
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
