Vodacom Bulls hooker Akker van der Merwe said he still feels strong for a 33-year-old and still hopes that Rassie Erasmus will give him a call shortly.
"I feel confident. When the time is right maybe then Rassie will have another look. Like I said last year, I’m not just coming back to South Africa to go through the motions.”
“I feel like I can still add a lot of value and obviously I still want to play for the Springboks.
"At this stage, I’m just staying positive and trying my best so that the Bulls can succeed. It is about me executing my role 110%.”
Van der Merwe said they will prepare for the DHL Stormers in the same manner as they would for any other match.
“A South African derby is a different beast compared to playing against an overseas team. There’s a lot more emotion, pride and heritage. It’s going to be a massive battle, but we will prepare for it the same as we would for any other game by focusing on ourselves and not the opposition. As forwards, we will focus on taking them on as a pack and not as individuals.”