Andre Esterhuizen insists he would not swap his 18 Springboks caps for a larger haul with another country.  

The centre was a standout performer during his time at Harlequins and has continued that form upon his return to The Sharks, helping the Durban-based side to a United Rugby Championship win over Glasgow Warriors just last month.  

But those efforts have not been met with what feels like just reward on the international stage, with Esterhuizen behind Damian de Allende in the Springboks’ pecking order.  

That matters little to the 30-year-old, though.  

“I’d much rather have my 18 caps for the Springboks than 70 caps for a different country that I’m not actually born in,” he said, a thinly veiled jibe at the likes of Pierre Schoeman and Duhan van der Merwe.  

Esterhuizen added: "A lot of people have different views about that but, for me, I’m  South African, I love this country and this team. I’m very content with where I’m at. 

“I’m always striving to be better, to play more, to get into the squad more. Damian [de Allende] is there, Lukhanyo [Am] is there – there’s so many players that can play 12, that can play not just stand-in at 12 but can play a great game at 12.  

"I would have loved to have played more. But I’ve worked hard – worked a lot harder on my discipline and stuff through the years, getting better at that.” 

After what appeared to be a dig initially at Edinburgh’s two South African-born Scotland internationals, who both qualified on residency grounds, Esterhuizen appeared to backtrack on his comments.  

He added: “I can’t speak for them as they obviously made the decision on their own. I think some players just decide young to leave the country and when the opportunity comes they’re probably not going to say no. 

“It’s also easy for me to say it in hindsight. If I left earlier and that opportunity came I don’t know what I would have done, but at the moment where I am now I’m very happy with my 18 or 19 or 20 caps. 

“For them it’s a career decision. You also need to make money out of rugby. So, there’s two different sides to it.” 

Much has been made in the build-up to Sunday’s game about Glasgow Warriors’ recent success. He was part of the Harlequins side that knocked Franco Smith’s team out of the Champions Cup last season, while also beating the Warriors in league duty with his new side in round five of the URC.  

Esterhuizen was quick to dispel any comparisons between the teams.  

Of the Glasgow players in Gregor Townsend’s squad, he said: “They’re a class outfit and they make up the bulk of the squad for Scotland, but when they put on that jersey, they’re also different players and they play a different style of play, different rugby.  

“It’s also a different mentality as soon as you start playing international rugby. 

“So we’re expecting a good fight this weekend. It’ll be great to win, but it’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be a hard battle.”