Vodacom Bulls hooker Akker van der Merwe is holding out hope that Rassie Erasmus will recall him to the Springbok fold in the near future.
Van der Merwe earned all three of his Test caps in 2018, Rassie Erasmus’ first season as Springbok coach. Despite excelling for the Sale Sharks and then the Bulls, since his return to South Africa in 2023, the hooker has not added to that tally, prompting speculation that there could be a rift between him and Erasmus.
“Like I said last year, I’m not just coming back to South Africa to go through the motions,” Van der Merwe told the media on Tuesday. “I feel like I can still add a lot of value and obviously I still want to play for the Springboks.
“Unfortunately I haven’t heard from Rassie [over the past few years],” he added. “I’m 33, but I still feel good – not like a 33-year-old might feel – and confident. I think when the time is right, maybe then he will have another look [at me]. I’m just staying positive and trying my best so that the Bulls can succeed.”
Van der Merwe will have another chance to change Erasmus’ mind in the North-South derby at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, with the Stormers match-23 likely to include two hookers who have represented the Springboks recently, namely Joseph Dweba and Andre-Hugo Venter.
However, Van der Merwe insisted that “it’s not about playing for myself, it’s about playing for the team and making sure I execute my role.”
He added: “A South African derby is a different beast compared to playing against an overseas team. There’s a lot more emotion, pride and heritage. It’s going to be a massive battle, but we will prepare for it the same as we would for any other game by focusing on ourselves and not the opposition. As forwards, we will focus on taking them on as a pack and not as individuals.”
Jake White’s Bulls lost the corresponding fixture, 26-20, in Cape Town last season – their seventh Vodacom URC defeat to John Dobson’s Stormers in as many matches – before breaking the curse with a convincing 40-22 victory in Pretoria.
“I felt we had a mental block more than anything else and that win at Loftus made it an even playing field again,” said Van der Merwe. “So we are very confident about this weekend.”
