Siya Kolisi paid tribute to Hyron Andrews on Friday following the Springboks' captain's run in Italy, remembering the Lions lock as an exceptional teammate and person in the wake of his tragic passing while on tour ahead of the Champions Cup clash against La Rochelle.
Andrews is to be laid to rest on Saturday in his home town of Paarl.
"It's a difficult one; I don't think his death has sunk in yet for a lot of us because it feels like we were just with Hyron the other day," Kolisi said. "I've played with him, and I know how tough his passing was for the guys that were close to him."
Kolisi, who played alongside Andrews at the Sharks, reserved particular thought for Andrews' family. "I can't imagine what it's like for his wife and his family. She travelled all around the world to support Hyron, and now they have two kids, and his family is impacted by his passing as well."
"Hyron was an amazing human being. I don't think anyone can say anything bad about him. He used to bring a lot of energy and was a team player; even if he didn't play, he was always there for the guys and had the same energy all the time. He was willing to go to places to get an opportunity to play — he was a proper team man and a good person off the field too."
Tributes have come in from across the rugby world, with clubs observing a moment of silence before matches and encouraging fans to applaud in the fifth minute in honour of the Paarl-born No.5.