Marnus van der Merwe has been relishing every moment of being a member of Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus’ squad in the last few weeks and said he hoped to grab his chance to face the Barbarians in the Qatar Airways Cup at the DHL Stadium on Saturday with both hands.
The physical former Toyota Cheetahs hooker who currently plays for Welsh club Scarlets will wear the green and gold jersey for the first time after being named on the replacements bench for the clash, and he was thrilled about the opportunity to represent his country even though it is not an official Test match.
“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.”
The 28-year-old, who was a member of the Junior Springbok training squad in 2017, admitted that his call-up to the national team was more sudden than expected, and said it was a dream come true.
“I didn’t think it would happen this fast,” said Van der Merwe. “I thought it would probably take another year or so, so hopefully I can grab the opportunity with both hands.
“I told my wife when we went over to Wales that I have a two-year plan to work my way into the Bok set-up, and if it doesn’t happen, we’ll make another plan. Being here now means that we’ve had to move everything forward.”
Van der Merwe praised the Scarlets coaching staff for guiding him on this path: “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.”
Looking ahead at making his first appearance for the Springboks against a quality Barbarians outfit, Van der Merwe said he’s approaching it as a Test match.
“I want to go out there and give everything, just as I do every week for my club,” he said. “One thing’s for certain, it’s tough to get here and even harder to stay here, so I plan to give my best.”
Commenting on what has stood out for him in the Springbok team, he said: “It’s the way the team does things and the structure within the system. The way Tony (Brown) and Jerry (Flannery – Springbok assistant coaches) 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.”