Marnus van der Merwe’s big chance to solve Bok hooker problem

The Springboks have over the past six or so years been searching for a reliable regular third choice hooker, and Marnus van der Merwe looks set to be the next to step into the breach to try and make the position his own.

Since before the 2019 World Cup, Malcolm Marx and Bongi Mbonambi have worked seamlessly in tandem as two of the best hookers in world rugby, but have yet to find someone to back them up.

At the 2019 World Cup the Boks took veteran Schalk Brits, at that time 38 years old, to the showpiece event as back up to Marx and Mbonambi.

In the previous cycle before the 2023 event, the Boks tried numerous options, with players like Scarra Ntubeni, Johan Grobbelaar and Fez Mbatha making various squads but not playing, while Joseph Dweba seemed to be the favourite to take the spot.

However, the Bok management weren’t convinced and in 2022 decided to bring veteran Deon Fourie into the mix, with him becoming the oldest Springbok debutant at 35-years-old against Wales that year.

Despite him having transitioned into a loose forward, he was then required to become the back up hooker, with the Boks taking him to the 2023 World Cup as their third choice option, and he even played 78 minutes of the final after Mbonambi was forced off early with an injury.

More changes

Last year Grobbelaar returned to the mix and made his debut, while Jan-Hendrik Wessels was also brought in as a hooking option, although the Bok bosses seem to see him more as a loosehead prop. Andre-Hugo Venter also earned a Bok cap against Portugal.

This year Grobbelaar and Venter have been left out, Wessels is still involved, but will likely focus more on prop, and Van Der Merwe has arrived after a sterling season in the URC for Scarlets.

He now has a golden opportunity to do what a slew of players before him have been unable to — become a regular back up to the two stalwarts, and his first chance to make that statement will be when he comes off the bench against the Barbarians in Cape Town on Saturday.

“It’s an honour to be here. I’ve been praying for this every day, so it’s a blessing and it’s not something I’m taking lightly,” said Van der Merwe at a Bok press conference on Wednesday.

“It has been great to have players like Bongi and Malcolm to learn from, and they, and the rest of the team, have been very helpful in getting me settled. I think I asked Bongi about 20 questions the first day of camp.

“I want to go out there and give everything, just as I do every week for my club. One thing’s for certain, it’s tough to get here and even harder to stay here, so I plan to give my best.”

Move to Scarlets

The 28-year-old Van der Merwe was a Cheetahs stalwart after making his senior debut in 2017, but due to playing minimally internationally, he decided to make the switch to Welsh side Scarlets this past season.

He made the move in an effort to ignite his Springbok aspirations, but he was even caught off guard by how quickly he has been brought into the setup, despite his impressive debut campaign in the URC.

“I didn’t think it would happen this fast. I thought it would probably take another year or so, so hopefully I can grab the opportunity with both hands,” explained the hooker.

“I told my wife when we went over to Wales that I have a two-year plan to work my way into the Bok setup, and if it doesn’t happen, we’ll make another plan. Obviously being here now means that we’ve had to move everything forward.

“I must give credit to the Scarlets for their role in getting me to where I am now. I told them what my goals were, and they bought in and assisted me to make it here, and I’m very grateful for that.”