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How South African-born van der Merwe is coping with criticism of his Lions selection
George-born Duhan van der Merwe has explained how he is ignoring the begrudgers who are saying the Scotland-qualified winger shouldn’t be representing the Lions on their upcoming tour to South Africa. The 26-year-old became Scottish eligible last year after spending three seasons in Edinburgh and his strike rate of eight tries in ten Test appearances resulted in him gaining Lions squad selection last month.
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It was 2014 when van der Merwe represented the Junior Springboks in the 2014 World Cup final but he soon embarked on the winding journey that will now see him run out at Murrayfield on Saturday against Japan wearing the No11 Lions jersey.
The winger played some provincial matches for the Bulls in early 2016 before spending a year at Montpellier prior to his career-making move to Edinburgh, but even that club bond hasn’t been unbreakable as shortly after breaking into the Scotland team last autumn it was announced that he will be playing in next season’s Gallagher Premiership with bottom club Worcester and leaving Edinburgh after four seasons.
His call-up by the Lions in the interim has apparently needled some South Africans but that criticism is something he is not dwelling on ahead of Sunday’s flight south to Johannesburg for the eight-match tour that includes a three-game Test series versus the Springboks.
“I have had a think about that and I’m just going ignore all those kind of bits,” he said when quizzed following Friday’s captain’s run about his South Africans connections and the reaction his selection has generated in his homeland. “I have just been ignoring all the stuff people have been saying on social media. I know how I feel in my heart sitting here representing the Lions and that is all that matters.
Rassie Erasmus recalls Duhan's fork in the road moment with South African rugby. https://t.co/DLQpFrcs0u
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 30, 2021
“You get the hard comment – he is born in South Africa, he shouldn’t be representing Scotland or the Lions and he is going back to South Africa and he shouldn’t be representing the Lions, all those kind of bits. I don’t really want to go into detail about that. I just put all that stuff behind me and just focus on what I can focus on,” he continued, adding that the barbs are a motivation for him to do well in the weeks ahead.
“I left South Africa at the age of 20 and if you asked me then do you ever think you would represent the British and Irish Lions on tour to South Africa I would have said no. Look, I am absolutely buzzing being involved. I’m looking forward to going to South Africa and representing the Lions.
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“All my friends are very excited to watch the games on TV and my family is backing me, which is the most important thing for me. All my family and my mates are behind me. They can’t wait to see me play,” he said, adding how the strict bubble restrictions in Edinburgh mean that he can’t see his locally-based girlfriend even though she is just four minutes away from the team hotel.
The reasons van der Merwe has gone and bagged himself an all-expenses trip home👌#LionsRugby #Lions2021 #Lions
https://t.co/G5PjRSGKFX— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 7, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments