The Springboks have placed an SOS to big Bulls lock Flip van der Merwe to join them for the remainder of the Tri Nations away leg in Australasia.
Brenden Nel from SuperSport
Van der Merwe confirmed to Supersport.com that he will fly out Tuesday night to join his Springbok team-mates in Wellington as a replacement for Bok lock Bakkies Botha.
This will mean that the Bulls will have supplied all four their first choice locks to the Springboks at the moment, with 12 of their number (including Botha) unavailable for selection due to national commitments.
Botha was suspended for nine weeks following a head butt during last Saturday’s defeat at the hands of the All Blacks in Auckland and has since returned home. The big lock apologised for his actions but whether he will be allowed to return in the Tri Nations still waits to be seen.
In the meantime, Van der Merwe, who was left out of the touring squad by Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, has been given another chance to prove his worth. After his exceptional form in the Super 14, the former Free Stater will be relishing a chance to gain some worthwhile experience with the team while on tour.
“I’m leaving tonight,” he told Supersport.com, “I was on my way to gym this morning when I heard the news. I had to rush home and start packing.”
But while he had to change plans at short notice, the lock said he did have time for one telling phone call before he left. “It is wonderful to have the opportunity to join the Springboks and it is something we all strive for. Yes, it is bad about Bakkies, but after I got the call, I called him and chatted to him. Despite the circumstances he is still a player I admire and look up to.”
Van der Merwe has not been named in the starting line-up announced this morning (SA time) by coach Peter de Villiers but will be used if there is a late injury. He may be utilised as back-up for next weekend’s test match in Brisbane against the Wallabies.
The Bulls had mixed emotions about his departure, with forwards coach Johan van Graan wishing Van der Merwe well on tour.
“It is a big loss for us before a big game like the Sharks, but it is a great opportunity for Flip to gain more experience with the Boks,” Van Graan said. “We will always back our system – the same one that has now contributed four locks to the Bok squad. We will go to the next guy and back him to succeed.”
I’ll follow the career of this big guy with special interest. I know his dad, a good guy.
Danie injured his calf muscle in training , he might be out, Eishhhhh
He said this before the injury-
Rossouw is confident that the Boks can turn the Eden Park humiliation in Auckland into a positive.
“We let ourselves down and have to fix it. I don’t think I’m coming to the rescue. Rather, I’m grateful that I can be part of the fightback.”
His advice to his team-mates is simple. “We have to pitch physically. I know we can. We have been in this situation before. We were humiliated and have to stand up.”
Rossouw admitted that the New Zealand Haka heightens the adrenaline.
“That is why there is sometimes a fine line between aggressive and unacceptable play. You then have to keep your head and concentrate, something I don’t always manage.”
(i said yesterday that the Haka might be the place where Bakkies lost his cool, NZ play hard men with their Haka but cry like babies the moment one take that challenge. What is the Haka other than a challenge war?)
His focus will be to force the home team out of their pattern as early as possible.
“You have to tackle and run hard. We have to tackle them back and make sure they don’t get momentum. We have to show them whois boss.”
So the Bulls are now without their 1st 4 locks… Eishh…
Yellow card Flip! Eish……….
snoek @ 4
: grin: yep!! when he got yellowcarded at newlands, most of the supporters around me went “o my flip” (o, f**k)!! 😆
@ Boerboel:boerboel, did you play with Flip senior…you were a hooker, so he must have partnered you in the front row….absolutely huge man.
OK I’m giving odds on the next yellow card.
Flip.
Butch.
er er…..there is no one else!
No cards this week, please!
Jeez, could they not have flown him out on Sunday, at least he could adjust a bit to the jetlag then.
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