Edwill van der Merwe looks to continue scoring spree in first Rugby Championship Test at Ellis Park

Edwill van der Merwe will have the opportunity to continue his try-scoring prowess on Saturday in the opening round of the Rugby Championship against Australia at his former hunting ground in Johannesburg.

No Bok player has ever scored in their first four matches, and the 29-year-old Van der Merwe will have that opportunity when he runs onto the field alongside an experienced side for the first of two Tests against the Wallabies (5.10 pm start).

Springbok greats like Jacques Fourie, Bryan Habana, Makazole Mapimpi, and Joost van der Westhuizen all failed to score in their first four games, with Fourie coming closest by dotting down in his first three. Habana, Van der Westhuizen and Mapimpi blanked in their third games.

After three Tests, Van der Merwe currently has five tries, and he can claim the sole record on Saturday at Ellis Park should he score again. However, that will definitely not be the focus for the speedster from Kylemore in Stellenbosch. He will just look to contribute wherever he can to help secure a crucial starting win for the world champions.

They will look to defend their Rugby Championship title this year.

Van der Merwe will be facing the Wallabies for the first time, and it will be his first Test at Ellis Park. His previous matches were against Wales, Italy and Georgia.

“I don’t think there is any pressure on me to continue scoring tries,” the winger said about his exploits behind the poles.

“My main thing is to look after my systems on the side and scoring a try is a bonus. Playing next to guys who like to move the ball helps. I like to get the ball in space. Hopefully, the try scoring can continue.

“I am facing Australia, so it will be a bigger challenge, but one I am looking forward to. As a youngster, watching the Rugby Championship, it was always a big focus when you went into this competition. So, I am looking forward to getting stuck into things and getting used to what it is like facing them.”

He looks forward to running out at Ellis Park, which he dubbed one of his favourite grounds to play on alongside the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch.

According to Van der Merwe, the move from Cape Town – where he didn’t get a lot of game time – to Johannesburg and the Lions was probably the best he made for his career. Although he’s traded Ellis Park for King’s Park in Durban recently, he harbours fond memories of playing in Johannesburg.

He became Springbok 935 at the Lions.

While the likes of Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Makazole Mapimpi have been outstanding on the wing for the Boks, Van der Merwe is slowly but surely putting his name in the hat to become a regular in the setup.

“We are in a really healthy position and privileged to have this amount of competition in the squad. The nice thing is that everyone helps everyone to be their best for the Springboks. I am just learning as much as possible to add to my game.

“The challenge of becoming a Springbok and staying here is very difficult. Every day we go out on the field for training is a new opportunity and a challenge to get better. Whether I am playing or not, it is to attack every session and ensure I improve. When the day is finished, I can say I got better. That is where my focus is.”