Vusi Moyo goes into Saturday's Nations Championship clash against Wales at Kings Park (kickoff 5.40pm) armed with advice from Handré Pollard and backed by Rassie Erasmus's confidence in his readiness for Test rugby.
The 20-year-old flyhalf, who missed the first five months of the season through injury and has just one Sharks appearance to his name, earned his call-up after impressing at Bok training camps and in the non-Test match against the Barbarians in Gqeberha. He is one of four debutants on Saturday alongside Jaco Williams, Ruben van Heerden and Carlu Sadie.
"It only sunk in that I was in the Springbok team when coach Rassie named the squad on Monday," Moyo said. "My heart skipped a few beats."
Pollard was the first teammate to reach out after the announcement. "When coach Rassie named the team, Handré was the first person to tell me he was there if I needed anything," Moyo said. "He told me this week is all about going over my details and being as prepared as I can be so that when I take the field, I can just play rugby."
Moyo has leaned on all three of the Boks' senior flyhalves during the week. "Those three guys I have looked up to, and all three have been helping me. They are all different, yet all are up there as the best flyhalves in the world."
Erasmus is unambiguous about what prompted the selection. "Vusi kicks brilliantly off the tee, his restarts are excellent, he kicks to touch well, and he kicks well at goal," the coach said. "For a big guy, he's got really soft hands. We want to see him in a Test match because of what he has shown in training sessions and also in the Barbarians game."
Erasmus also drew a comparison to Pollard's own emergence, noting that Moyo — physically imposing for his age — does not shy away from the contact areas, a quality that distinguishes him from the archetypal small, elusive pivot.