Hooker Marnus van der Merwe says his move to Wales fast-tracked his Springbok dream, and he’s ready to grab his chance with both hands against the Barbarians on Saturday.
Named on the bench for the clash at Cape Town Stadium, Van der Merwe will wear the green and gold jersey for the first time in what he’s treating as a full Test.
“It’s an honour to be here,” said Van der Merwe. “I’ve been praying for this every day, so it’s a blessing and it’s not something I’m taking lightly.
“It has been great to have players like Bongi [Mbonambi] and Malcolm [Marx] to learn from, and they, and the rest of the team, have been very helpful in getting me settled. I think I asked Bongi about 20 questions the first day of camp.”
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Van der Merwe, who played for the Junior Springbok training squad in 2017, admitted the call-up came sooner than expected.
“I didn’t think it would happen this fast. I thought it would probably take another year or so, so hopefully I can grab the opportunity with both hands,” he said.
“I told my wife when we went over to Wales that I have a two-year plan to work my way into the Bok setup, and if it doesn’t happen, we’ll make another plan. Obviously being here now means that we’ve had to move everything forward.”
The 28-year-old credited his club coaches for helping him reach this point.
“I must give credit to the Scarlets for their role in getting me to get to where I am now. I told them what my goals were, and they bought in and assisted me to make it here, and I’m very grateful for that.”
He’s taking nothing for granted as he prepares for his Springbok debut.
“I want to go out there and give everything, just as I do every week for my club. One thing’s for certain, it’s tough to get here and even harder to stay here, so I plan to give my best.”
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Van der Merwe also praised the input from the national coaching team.
“The way Tony [Brown] and Jerry [Flannery] see the game has also taught me a lot about how to improve my rugby, and it’s fantastic how every coach gives input in their areas of expertise.
“One of the big things I’ve learned in my time here is that even the smallest thing can change one’s game.”
Photo: ©INPHO/Mike Jones
