Edinburgh utility back Jaco van der Walt has warned teams in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship not to write off South African teams just yet.
Van der Walt, who played for the Emirates Lions before heading to Edinburgh, believes that the South African sides will adjust and do better as the competition goes on.
The Scottish international reckons that while SA teams have only had one win out of eight in the two rounds of the competition thus far, they will improve as time goes on.
“It hasn’t been good for them so far, but you can’t underestimate the South African teams,” he said after his team were beaten by a late drop goal in Treviso.
“They’re good teams with good individual players. They’re just getting used to a new tournament and to the weather as well - obviously, in South Africa, they get better weather and play expansive rugby. So it’s difficult for them to adjust to this weather, to begin with, but it won’t take them long to get used to it and then we’ll see the best of them.”