The South African winger on the cusp of a call-up to the Scotland squad
Duhan van der Merwe admits the prospect of international recognition and winning silverware for Edinburgh are providing him with ample motivation.
The South African winger has qualified for Scotland under the residency rule and is expected to be called up by Gregor Townsend for the autumn internationals.
That opportunity has given the 25-year-old extra drive since Edinburgh returned to action and the powerful wide player also aims to grasp the chance to help his club into the Guinness PRO14 final.
Edinburgh host Ulster in their first semi-final appearance on Saturday night after topping Conference B and van der Merwe is excited about taking the club even further.
Van der Merwe, who has scored 31 tries in 58 appearances for the club, said: “Look, obviously since I have been Scottish-qualified things have changed for me personally.
“Because now I know I need to perform every single game not just to be in the Edinburgh starting XV but to maybe start for Scotland or get a chance to play for Scotland.
“That’s definitely in the back of my mind because I know I am competing against Darcy (Graham), Glasgow wingers, guys who have been playing.
“I know there is a lot of competition so I just want to be at my best and perform and get a shot at that. I do want to play for Scotland and I do want to give it a crack.
“For now, I am just really focused on performing for Edinburgh in the semi-finals and hopefully get some silverware for the club, that would be amazing.
“There is definitely a big buzz, the club has not been in this situation.
“There was one point I thought they were going to scrap the whole season. We were in such a good spot and I was in lockdown thinking, ‘surely they are going to give us a shot’.
“It’s exciting we have that opportunity, it’s exciting for the club and for the boys.”
"Compare Cockerill’s win percentage to his 4 permanent predecessors and he handsomely outstrips them all… by any objective measure, Edinburgh are a team transformed"
– Stirring ode to Scotland's current fave Englishman by @JLyall93??? @EdinburghRugby https://t.co/K0NtUqCXGw
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 27, 2020
Van der Merwe played his part in sealing the last-four spot with a brilliant assist in Edinburgh’s 30-15 comeback win over Glasgow, but there was little inspiration from anyone in his team during Friday’s 15-3 defeat by Warriors.
He said: “Can we just forget about that? Honestly, the worst game I ever played in my life. Stop-start, stop-start…I felt like I only ran 500 metres the whole game.
“It was just one of those games, we had so many errors. I don’t want to swear but it was a really s*** game.
“Boys got opportunities and this game isn’t going to determine what happens next week. We will start afresh on Monday, preview Ulster and then get stuck in. What’s the point in reviewing this game? We made 10 changes.”
The former Blue Bulls and Montpellier player was glad he played though.
“I probably felt I needed a run,” he said. “I was blowing a bit in my first game and I just want to get minutes under my belt.
“You are always a bit rusty in your first few games back and I just want to get out of that and get back to my form.”
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments