The Toyota Cheetahs welcome what could be a tough midfield battle this weekend when they face the Sharks in Bloemfontein in the Currie Cup.

The Springbok centre, André Esterhuizen, is set to return to the field following his upgraded red card against Portugal in Bloemfontein last month. This weekend’s crucial Currie Cup fixture is the first Esterhuizen will be eligible to play, and the Sharks may pick him.

André Esterhuizen. Photo: Morgan Piek

The Cheetahs Director of Rugby, Frans Steyn, a former teammate of Esterhuizen, told OFM Sport he’ll be a handful to contend with. 

“He is a big guy and I really enjoyed him a lot when I was at the Boks,” said Steyn.

“Luckily, we’re all built the same with two legs and two arms. We just need to tackle him around his ankles, and then hopefully it will work out for us.”

Steyn added that going into the match against the exciting Sharks team, they’ll draw confidence from their stunning come-from-behind 26-19 win against Western Province, although that was a draining game.

“We take a lot of confidence, but as well I think energy-wise it was draining. The guys are a little bit flat, and we’re in the middle of the Currie Cup, so at this stage, I think it’s getting them fresh every week and mentally ready … to do it over and over.

“So hopefully we can do it this week and get to a good place again on Saturday like we were against Province.”

The two-time World Cup winner also said with the Currie Cup starting to approach the semifinals, it’s important to carry on building momentum, especially if they want a home knockout match.

“Especially if you want to have a home semi every game is going to be crucial. If you look at all the other teams, like I said earlier, all the bigger unions plan better this year. They’ve got good squads, so anything can happen. We have to be at the top of our game this week.”

Saturday’s match in the Toyota Stadium kicks off at 17:15.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg/mvh