Edwill van der Merwe is eager to build on his red-hot start in Test rugby when the Springboks face Italy in Turin.
The winger has been electric in green and gold, scoring five tries in just four Tests – including a brace against the Azzurri in Port Elizabeth earlier this year – but says his focus is less on the numbers and more on staying ready for whatever comes next.
“My life motto is ‘it’s a marathon, not a sprint,’ so I firmly believe what’s meant for me, won’t miss me,” Van der Merwe said. “The biggest thing for me is to stay prepared, stay ready whenever the call comes, and when I get the opportunity to play, to grab it with both hands.”
GAZA: Italy to test Boks in the air
The in-form speedster was quick to credit his teammates for his try-scoring success, saying the Boks’ attacking structure has made his job easier.
“Firstly, I’ve got to give credit to the playmakers in the team. They’re guys who put you into space, and as a winger there’s not that much more that you want,” he said.
“Hopefully when the opportunity comes again and I get to pull the green and gold jersey over my head, it’ll be the same sequence and hopefully I can add more tries to my tally.”
Van der Merwe expects another bruising encounter against an Italian side that impressed with a 26-19 win over Australia last Saturday.
“They’re big, physical guys, so the physical contest – which we pride ourselves on as well as South Africans – will be massive,” he said.
“They were very good at the weekend. Also they have players who can create moments of magic from the back, so it’ll be a big challenge.”
HOOKER: Italy will be a different monster
The Sharks star also pinpointed the breakdown as a key battleground.
“They put a lot of emphasis on slowing the ball down or going to steal the ball. Whatever they throw at us, we’ll have to match it and overpower them with what we do.”
Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
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