Edwill van der Merwe and Scotland winger Kyle Steyn shared a dressing room at Maties before their paths diverged into international rugby, and the two will meet as opponents when the Springboks host Scotland in their Nations Championship Test at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Van der Merwe, who has scored in every one of his five Springbok appearances and will earn his sixth cap this weekend, singled out Scotland's back three as a genuine threat. "They are definitely dangerous players that we have to keep an eye on," he said on Tuesday. "I think most of their guys play either for Edinburgh or Glasgow so they have good cohesion and understand each other — and Kyle, we've known each other for quite some time so it'll be good to play against each other on the weekend."
Bulls supporters will need no reminder of Steyn's threat after his two-try performance for Glasgow in the URC semifinal.
Loosehead prop Boan Venter, who played for Edinburgh, adds another layer of inside knowledge to the Springbok camp. SA Rugby Mobi-Unit coach Duane Vermeulen confirmed Venter's intel would be put to work, particularly in the scrum sessions. "He knows the guys pretty well so he'll probably give us a bit more inside info, especially coming tomorrow when we go into our scrum session," said Vermeulen. "He's definitely biting his lips to play on Saturday and looking forward to that challenge."
Much of the tactical discussion this week has centred on the aerial contest and the transition game that now defines Test rugby. Van der Merwe said the coaching directive is unambiguous — go for the full catch. "With the law it makes it a bit easier for us to get clear access in a fair contest to the ball, and from there we implement what Coach Tony [Brown] teaches us."
Vermeulen identified the loose ball after a failed catch as a critical area, noting the Springboks had conceded ground to England in that department. "The big thing after that is who gets the ball if they miss it — that's where you've got to be really loaded. This game is now not being played off set phases and first-phase strikes; it's all about who can transition the quickest from turnovers."