Springboks newbie’s biggest ‘learning’ after asking Bongi Mbonambi ’20 questions’

Marnus van der Merwe is eager to make the most of his time in the Springboks squad after reaching his goal ahead of schedule.

The 28-year-old hooker was invited to the alignment camps last year but did one better in 2025 after being named in Rassie Erasmus’ training squad for the clash against the Barbarians ahead of the Test matches versus Italy and Georgia.

“I didn’t think it would happen this fast”

Ahead of the 2024/25 season, Van der Merwe left the Cheetahs to sign a deal with Scarlets, and after a standout season with the Welsh club, he is set to play in the Green and Gold jersey for the first time after being named amongst the replacements against the Baa-Baas.

The front-rower revealed that when he packed his bags for Llanelli, he set a goal to work his way into the Springboks, but has realised that target a year earlier than he hoped.

“I didn’t think it would happen this fast,” the 2017 Junior Springbok said.

“I thought it would probably take another year or so, so hopefully I can grab the opportunity with both hands.

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

Keen to learn

Now that he is in the squad, he been eager to soak up as much information as he possibly can and has sought the advice of double Rugby World Cup-winning hooker Bongi Mbonambi.

“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,” he added.

“It has been great to have players like Bongi and Malcolm (Marx) 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.”

While he expressed his gratitude to the Scarlets coaching team that helped realise his dream, Van der Merwe also praised the attention to detail from the Springboks coaching team and the environment they have created.

“The way the team does things and the structure within the system,” he said when asked about what stood out for him.

“The way Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery see the game has also taught me a lot about how to improve my rugby, and it’s fantastic how every coach gives input in their areas of expertise.

“One of the big things I’ve learned in my time here is that even the smallest thing can change one’s game.”