Edwill van der Merwe’s move to Sharks can be a Springbok springboard for the winger

COLUMN

As tough as it is for the Lions and their supporters to hear this, maybe a move away from Ellis Park is what speedster Edwill van der Merwe needs to propel him to greater Springbok heights.

The flight-footed winger has been linked with a move for a while now and it looks like the Sharks in Durban won the arm wrestle for his signature ahead of next season. Looking at his World Cup ambitions as a 28-year-old, slotting in with a star-studded team and a backline littered with Springboks just seems like the right decision.

I am not saying that the Lions do not possess a backline with plenty of skills, a couple of young Boks, and potential future stars, but what Van der Merwe needs now is to break through that franchise ceiling to play more regularly for South Africa. He’s had a taste of Springbok rugby against Wales at Twickenham and had it not been for an injury, he could’ve possibly had more caps already.

But at the Sharks, he will be surrounded by national players who can take his game to another level. And, looking at the winger stocks in Durban, having to shift Ethan Hooker there throughout the season, they need a specialist finisher. He is the one.

Should Van der Merwe arrive in the coastal city, the Durbanites could have a backline that potentially looks like this: at scrumhalf Grant Williams/Jaden Hendrikse, flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse, a midfield of Andre Esterhuizen/Ethan Hooker and Jurenzo Julius/Lukhanyo Am, and a back-three of Makazole Mapimpi/Yaw Penxe, Van der Merwe and fullback Aphelele Fassi.

That is a deadly backline that can tear defences to pieces, even in the Champions Cup. Imagine Van der Merwe on the outside when Julius hits a gap, and he needs a finisher next to him. The Lions winger has been conjuring up tries down the touchline for fun this season almost without the aid of his teammates.

While Mapimpi still has his flashes of brilliance on the field, he is also reaching the back end of his career. In the last couple of matches, he’s been on the receiving end of some cards that have cost the Sharks. He also recently came off a ban. So, maybe it is time for the coastal side to look at a replacement for the double World Cup winner.

The Lions, though, can be rightly miffed about the Sharks’ bulging money coffers that came to dip at Ellis Park yet again. They’ve already lost the Tshituka brothers, Vincent and Manu, and more recently Jordan Hendrikse to Kings Park. So, there is reason to scoff at them.

But Van der Merwe needs that move if he is to give himself the best chance of making the Springbok squad for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. He needs more Bok caps in the lead-up to the tournament. The Sharks will provide that springboard for him to launch to a greater height, surrounded by plenty of world champions.

He will then be able to challenge the likes of Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, and Mapimpi for a more regular place at the Springboks.