Richard Cockerill lauds the growth of Scotland flyer Duhan van der Merwe, who is set to light up the ‘Home of Rugby’ when he lines up against England this week.
Van der Merwe has become England’s biggest Six Nations nightmare, and Steve Borthwick will be plotting ways to stop Scotland’s record try-scorer when they visit Twickenham for Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash.
Born in George, Van der Merwe was part of an SA Schools side featuring Bok world champions Jesse Kriel and Handre Pollard, but injuries stalled his progress. Rejected by Montpellier, he arrived at Edinburgh in 2017 with a loose bone in his pelvis and no health insurance.
“We took a punt on him,” recalled Cockerill, then Edinburgh’s director of rugby, in a profile piece for the UK’s Daily Mail. “He was raw but had power and pace. Now he’s worth every penny.”
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Over the years, Van der Merwe has refined his game, as England have learned to their cost. The winger has scored six tries against them in the Calcutta Cup, helping Scotland win every match he’s played in the fixture.
Former Worcester coach Steve Diamond, who worked with Van der Merwe in the Premiership, summed up his impact: “He’s a match-winner, loyal and tough. I told him, ‘Score in every game, and you can holiday in SA during breaks.’ He delivered.”
England centre Ollie Lawrence, who lived next door to Van der Merwe at Worcester, will be among those trying to shut him down. “We used to just give him the ball and tell him to go,” said Lawrence.
“He’s an incredible player, loves throwing defenders off him. But we’ve worked on limiting his space.”
Photo: EPA/NEIL HALL
