Andre Esterhuizen embracing 'privilege' of leading Springboks for first time

The 32-year-old centre will become the 68th player to captain the Springboks when he leads a much-changed side at Optus Stadium, with regular skipper Siya Kolisi released from the squad along with Pieter-Steph du Toit.

"Being a leader at your franchise prepares you, but also in saying that it's so much easier here with so many guys around you that are all leaders," said Esterhuizen, who made his Test debut in 2018.

"They help you in different areas of the game. So, to step up into this is quite comfortable. It's a privilege, and although I will be in the captaincy role, it's still all about the team.

"Ultimately, it's about what we all do together on the field. I'm taking it on as an honour and I'm very happy about it, but in the end it's about the squad."

Esterhuizen said he had also drawn lessons from Kolisi's leadership during their time together at the Sharks and with the Springboks.

"If you look at Siya, he's been a tremendous leader for the Springboks," he said.

"I've obviously played with him at the Sharks, and just always seeing him remain composed and calm, no matter what the situation, is amazing. He knows when to step back and when to step up, so I've taken a lot from him."

While the captaincy represents a personal milestone for Esterhuizen, Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick stressed the importance of the Perth Test in building squad depth ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

"We are excited about the guys getting an opportunity after a tough four weeks against the All Blacks (in the Castle Double Malt Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series), especially guys such as Canan Moodie and Handre Pollard, who were close to playing in one of the games and then got injured," said Stick.

"I'm also thrilled to see a guy like Herschel Jantjies. He's probably only played about 25 minutes this season, but he's been great in training sessions, so I'm very excited for him to get a chance."

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