Marnus van der Merwe: How Munster’s new hooker is helping transform their set-piece

Marshalled by new forwards coach Jimmy Duffy, head coach Clayton McMillan has successfully compensated for the retirements of homegrown veterans Stephen Archer, and Niall Scannell and John Ryan in successive seasons, as well as the enforced end to Oli Jager’s career, and the departure of injury-cursed Roman Salanoa.

Tighthead props Jack Aungier and Kieran Brookes have arrived in addition to the Springboks-capped van der Merwe, 29, and all three will feature when Munster open their European pool campaign on Saturday night at Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, the hooker partnering Aungier and loosehead Jeremy Loughman, with England veteran Brookes kept in reserve. Munster will need them all to keep making their presence felt as Champions Cup rugby gets underway.

“We know Racing is a big team and an unbelievable French team, big Fijians, big ball carriers. So it's going to be physical, it's going to be hard,” van der Merwe told the Irish Examiner. “But I'm excited. You want to play against good teams and they're one of the good teams.

“So, making sure we step up mentally, physically and then just go get them. If we stand back, they're going to run over you. So we have to go and get them.

“Every game is enjoyable, I live for the game. It's just bigger men and they say the bigger they are, the harder they fall.” 

These are clearly the games van der Merwe relishes, his zealous approach to work having already been on full display in impactful performances from his debut off the bench against Glasgow Warriors and onto the Bulls and Ulster.

It is a work ethic that has helped ease the pain of having his wife Anika and new-born daughter Iné unable to join him yet as they wait for their visas.

“It's tough with the missus and baby not here. But the lads are helping. I’m getting around the lads and making sure I'm not quiet at home, so that's good.

“They’re with family at least, so it makes it a little bit easier… in Vicksburg, just outside Bloemfontein. It's a very nice, quiet, small town.

“At least I'm busy until about 7 o'clock, making sure we go for coffee or dinner or stuff like that. And then going home and it's almost straight to bed, at least a few minutes for myself and then straight to bed. So that's not bad.

“Like, at least I have a lot of rest before a game day. Baby is not here, so I get more sleep than usually. But I'm just making sure I'm focused for the weekend, building up to the weekend, making sure everything I do in the week is just building to the performance on the weekend.

“That's the main thing… that's how I approach the game. Making sure my detail is good, making sure I bring a presence. That's the main thing. Making sure the set-piece works and then the opportunities that come in the game.

“Without ball, you can't do anything. So set-pieces first and then the rest just fall into place.” 

The rest includes a rapacious appetite for poaching, a facet of van der Merwe’s game on full display in Belfast last week during a standout performance that earned him Munster’s player of the match from the 26-26 draw. 

The one-cap Springbok finished a maul try but also stood out over the ball with three poaches, all of which impressed his captain and fellow jackal expert Tadhg Beirne.

“It was funny; we were told to stay away from the rucks on the weekend!” Beirne said, “But, you know, when you're that good… 

“He's a different profile to me over the ball, isn't he? So, my opportunities come in different ways than his, but if I see him near the ball, I'll probably leave it to him before I go at it because he's a bit of a harder object to move than me.

“You just have to be smart, don't you? The big thing I've learned over the years is not to chase everything and pick your opportunities. It's also knowing who's around you as well, so I'm sure he'll be getting a few more and maybe mine will go down, but I don't really care about that.” 

There was no dissent from van der Merwe on that subject as he admitted he finds it more of a challenge to pick his moments.

“I'll never say no,” the South African said. “That's always a first instinct, but you have to look at certain players and see where players carry and how they carry. And you can see opportunity, so if some players carry, I'll definitely go for it, maybe a little bit more than I should, but then certain times you just have to look and see where the opportunity comes.” 

He has learned from some of the best, not least first-choice Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx.

“At the start of my career it was more carrying, making sure that I get a lot of front-foot ball. And then the last few years, how the game changed, and seeing a few Springbok players play – especially Malcolm, and making sure, so you have to improve your game.

“I saw an opportunity to improve my own game and I'm happy it's stuck. Hopefully this weekend I get a few again, but you never know, the (Ulster) game just fell at my feet. Hopefully there's a lot more to come, but every week is different, you never know what's coming.” 

Scrummaging, though, is van der Merwe’s first love, and in forwards coach Duffy he has found something of a soul mate in that regard.

“Jimmy makes it so much easier. He takes everything on himself, making sure the team doesn't have to worry about anything. So I enjoy working with Jimmy, he's unbelievable.

“And he lets us scrum, so that's unbelievable. Scrums are everything. He came in with a mindset to let the forwards work and it starts to show.

“Everyone bought into it. We're not there where we want to be, but we want to be set-piece dominant and everyone bought into it. It's starting to show. There's a few things we can do better as a team. Every week there is something we can build on. But I think even the back five, they buy into it, mauls, scrums, set-piece, giving the backs what ball they need. Working on certain things as a team, it's all we need to do.

“Getting Brooksy and Jack and all them, we brought in the mindset to scrummage and maul just to make sure the backs get what they need.

“I think if everything sticks to the way it is and falls into place, it's going to be unbelievable.”