André Esterhuizen has recently been named captain of the Springboks, a first in his career. This promotion is the result of a strategic decision by coach Rassie Erasmus, who repositioned Esterhuizen from a center to a flanker, a position typically occupied by forwards. As the Springboks prepare to face Australia this weekend, Esterhuizen stands out as an unusual case: a 1.93-meter-tall, 124 kg center who is heavier than most forwards in the French national team. After being moved to the flank position in June 2025, he has become a key player for the South African team's "bomb squad," a group of substitutes used to change the course of games in the final stages. Esterhuizen had long been confined to the center position with the Springboks. However, in June 2025, Erasmus made a change during a match against the Barbarians, introducing Esterhuizen as a flanker for the first time. This repositioning was a response to a practical selection issue: Esterhuizen struggled to make the 23-player squad because he only played in the 12 position, which was already crowded. Erasmus gradually tested him in the flank role, and Esterhuizen has since adapted well to lineouts. The idea came from Tony Brown, the South African attack coach, who believed that Esterhuizen's impressive physical attributes made him a valuable asset in a forward role. This shift in position has already yielded results. Esterhuizen scored a crucial try against the French national team a year ago and was selected for each of the four tests in the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series. His versatility has made him a key player for the South African bomb squad. However, one lingering question is whether he actually plays like a forward on the field. Given his size, it seems he has the physical traits of a forward, as he weighs more than most French forwards. In the French forward pack that faced the Springboks previously, only Régis Montagne and Emmanuel Meafou were heavier than him. To assess whether Esterhuizen plays like a forward, his statistics were compared to those of Emmanuel Meafou. In the URC last season, Esterhuizen played 13 matches, totaling 1,040 minutes, and carried the ball 151 times, or about 11.6 carries per 80 minutes. Meafou, in the Top 14, recorded 109 carries in 783 minutes, or about 11.1 per 80 minutes. In terms of ball carries, Esterhuizen is comparable to Meafou. However, the difference becomes clear in ball-in-hand efficiency. Esterhuizen gained 503 meters and broke through 50 defenders, compared to 205 meters and 12 defenders broken by Meafou. When adjusted to 80 minutes, this gives approximately 39 meters for Esterhuizen compared to 21 for Meafou. The South African also made 6 decisive passes and 14 passes after contact. In defense, the roles reverse: Meafou made 94 tackles, or about 10 per 80 minutes, with an 80% success rate, while Esterhuizen made 45 tackles, or about 3.5 per 80 minutes, with a 70% success rate. Meafou also recovered 8 balls, compared to 5 for Esterhuizen. In short, Esterhuizen carries as much as a second-row player but advances more and tackles much less. This is exactly the hybrid profile described by Erasmus: a physique capable of fulfilling a forward role without giving up his qualities as a back.