Is Flip a Bok option or not?
Comments
0
After declaring himself unavailable for Springbok selection, Flip van der Merwe seems to have changed his mind.
According to Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer the experienced lock would have been in the current squad, but is 'not available for international rugby at the moment'.
This has been a cause of some concern for Meyer considering how few options he has at lock, and especially as Van der Merwe has international experience on both sides of the second row.
However, Van der Merwe seems to see the situation differently and, speaking ahead of his appearance for the World XV against the Boks this weekend he suggested that there has been a breakdown of communication, adding that he may still be able to get back into the Bok frame in the future if he plays well enough.
"I think there is a communication gap somewhere, but maybe after Saturday. Heyneke said the door is open for everyone and if you are good enough you will get selected.
"Heyneke is a busy man, he has got a World Cup year. Rugby is an easy game, if you are good enough you get selected anywhere, that is my job to be good enough again and he will do the rest," he said.
The causes of his initial unavailability were vague with 'personal' reasons cited, which led to speculation of a contractual dispute, and the situation does not appear to be any clearer.
Van der Merwe is not a contracted Springbok, but he does seem to want to play for South Africa, contrary to the understanding of the coach.
This changes the significance of his performance against the Boks for the World XV this weekend completely, as he will be one of the few players on his team with something to prove.
"You don't wake up as a rugby player and want to put up a poor performance. I want to go out personally and playing against the Springbok pack is a massive honour in itself, there are not a lot of guys that can do that, and just you know, prove my point," he said.
Van der Merwe will come off the bench to replace either Ali Williams or Bakkies Botha this weekend, while the Springboks have utility forward Teboho Mohoje as their lock cover.
Although Mohoje has never played lock at international level, Van der Merwe believes the Springboks have enough depth in the second row.
"I think Oupa [Mohoje] has got enough talent to play anywhere, he is a good rugby player, as with any team there are a couple of injuries but I think they have got enough talent in the group to sort that out going forward in this big year," he said.
The question of whether or not Van der Merwe is available for the Springboks seems to be quite a complicated one, although he says that he does not want to make things any more difficult for them.
"It is my own thing, the Springboks definitely don't need any negative media. I am a Springbok supporter and I will do my best to support them going into the World Cup," he said.
There seems to be more to this issue than either side are willing to say, although they hold contrasting views of the situation. This makes it tough on those who are trying to figure out exactly what is going on, but adds a little spice to Van der Merwe's performance off the bench at Newlands this weekend.
By Michael de Vries
ADVERTISEMENT
