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'Made for playing that stage': The South African the Lions couldn't afford to ignore
One Lions player who will attract much focus in South Africa is Duhan van der Merwe, the soon-to-be 26-year-old Scotland winger who was born in George and represented the Junior Springboks before finding rugby fame and fortune in the northern hemisphere where he will soon move from Edinburgh, the Guinness PRO14 club where he made his name, to Worcester in the Gallagher Premiership.
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It was last winter when the finisher qualified for the Scots under the three-year residency rule and he didn’t hang about making a telling impact, playing in all ten of Scotland’s matches this season, starting nine and scoring eight tries – a tremendously impressive strike rate.
He scored in six of those ten appearances, finishing off his first Guinness Nations campaign by scoring two tries in each of Scotland’s closing two matches, the Super Saturday win over Italy and then in the rearranged fixture versus France in Paris.
That match was where the performance of Finn Russell massively caught the eye of Lions boss Warren Gatland and the exploits of van der Merwe on the wing didn’t go unnoticed either and it has now resulted in him getting chosen for the tour down in his native land.
Lions assistant Gregor Townsend was the coach who handed van der Merwe his Scotland debut last October and he has every confidence from what he has seen in their international set-up that the South African will be a valuable player to have on the trip south.
As far as in-form wingers go, recently qualified Scottish international Duhan van der Merwe has to be at the top of the list after an astounding introduction to test rugby over the last year. @bensmithrugby https://t.co/vleYwvqC6O
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 28, 2021
“He has not been back in South Africa for a long time,” said Townsend. “Look, he has shown over the last six months when he came into the Scotland team and played Test rugby that he is made for playing that stage. He has improved a fair bit as well during that process and there is a lot more to come from him. We were really impressed with how well he trained, how he fitted with the new team.
“These are things that are going to be crucial on the Lions, how to integrate with new teammates, how intense you train, how open you are to feedback, but also how you get your strengths out. He has got undoubted strengths with his physicality, his ability to break tackles and his speed. Our job as coaches is making sure the players show their strengths over the six weeks we come together as a Lions squad.”
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Gatland had his homework done in coming up with this explanation #LionsRugby #Lions2021 #Lionshttps://t.co/ugI0GhPDJG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 6, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
54 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept 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.
54 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.
3 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
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
54 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
54 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.
54 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. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. 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.
54 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.
54 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.
2 Go to comments