Andre Esterhuizen has made clear the Springboks will bring none of the Barbarians spirit to Saturday's YesPlay Cup opener at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, insisting the side will approach the Gqeberha fixture with the same professional intent as any official test.
"I know it is a Barbarians game and everyone looks at it and thinks it can be loose. They might want to make it loose, but we are aiming to stick to our processes like we do in every game," Esterhuizen said in an online press conference on Wednesday. "For us it is a normal test match. That's how we're going to handle it and go into the game."
That attitude proved decisive in last year's corresponding fixture in Cape Town, where the Boks won 54-7, aided admittedly by wet conditions that blunted the Barbarians' expansive game. Saturday's forecast in Gqeberha — clear skies, a maximum of 20 degrees — offers the visitors more favourable conditions to play their preferred style.
Esterhuizen has identified the Barbarians midfield as a genuine test, with Munster's Alex Nankivelli and Virimi Vakatawa forming the opposition centre partnership. "It's a powerhouse centre pairing. Nankivelli is a strong, abrasive runner with good offloading skills and good distribution. And we have all seen Vakatawa play for France — he is a very experienced centre who's been around for a long time and is a strong ball carrier. So it's going to be a good battle in the centres."
Beyond his own match-up, Esterhuizen flagged a supporting role in helping Quan Horn settle into the flyhalf position. The Lions back, who plays fullback for his franchise, has been selected at ten and Esterhuizen was unequivocal in his endorsement. "I think we can all agree he's a very good player, with a lot of skill and a good reading of the game. He has experienced players on his inside and outside who can help him and guide him. I think he will do very well in that position and that will make him a great option to have as a utility back."
Esterhuizen himself used last year's Barbarians game to debut as a hybrid flank off the bench, a role that has since become a recurring feature of his Springbok involvement.