Nick Mallett says centre Andre Esterhuizen is one of seven World Cup selection hopefuls who has to make a huge impression for the Springboks against Argentina on Saturday.
Esterhuizen will pair with vice-captain Lukhanyo Am in a heavily-rotated Bok lineup for the clash in Buenos Aires, in the first of three World Cup warm-up matches for the world champions.
The team shows 14 changes to the starting XV that beat Los Pumas at Ellis Park last week, and is the last chance for several Boks to prove themselves before the coaches name the 33-man World Cup squad on Tuesday, 8 August.
Esterhuizen produced arguably his best performance in the green and gold in the Rugby Championship victory over Australia on 8 July.
On Saturday, the hulking No 12 will be playing in his 13th Test – and just his fourth start since 2019 – and writing for News24, Mallett expects Esterhuizen and Jesse Kriel to be fighting it out for one of three midfielder seats on the plane to France.
“I think they will only take three specialist centres because of the ability of Damian Willemse as the utility back. What that does, is make this a huge game for Andre Esterhuizen,” the former Bok coach, now pundit, writes.
“Kriel, who is coming off the bench, does perhaps offer more in that he has played fullback or wing, but I don’t think that will factor in too much given the cover the Boks have in those positions. It’s a difficult decision.”
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Scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies is set to make his first appearance this season off the bench, behind fellow World Cup winner Cobus Reinach, against Los Pumas.
Chomping at the bit, too, will be Joseph Dweba, and Mallett reckons the replacement hooker as well as locks Jean Kleyn and Marvin Orie need to put their hands up.
He writes: “Jantjies, who is on the bench for Saturday, hasn’t had much opportunity this year but was at the last World Cup while Reinach, who starts, offers a lot of experience and is essentially a duplicate of [Faf] de Klerk.
“Dweba starts on the bench this weekend and really needs to put his hand up, hitting his lineout jumpers regularly, when he comes on.
“It is equally interesting in the second row where I see Saturday’s starters – Marvin Orie and Jean Kleyn – basically being in contention for one World Cup spot.
“This is a big, big Test for the two locks, Dweba, the scrumhalves and the centres, Kriel and Esterhuizen.”
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