Ulster Rugby vs Munster

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE: SETTLING IN

Franco van der Merwe insists Ulster Rugby is on an upward curve and is determined to play a central role in that progression.

The South African arrived in the Province at the start of the season and has thoroughly enjoyed his time here thus far, but he believes the next month is vital in ensuring that that continues. “We’ve settled in nicely in Belfast. Everyone is really friendly; from management, coaches and players, inviting me for a coffee, dinner or whatever the case may be. My wife has made some great friends as well. We’re loving our first year here and to have the opportunity to challenge for silverware is making it even more enjoyable. It’s been a pretty good year for the team and it’s great being part of this Ulster squad and in the starting team particularly.” The Ulster men have won their last three consecutive games, including a memorable 26-10 win over Leinster a fortnight ago. Those victories have guaranteed Ulster’s place in the play-offs, but home advantage in the last four could be crucial and van der Merwe knows that the most difficult part is still to come, starting with this afternoon’s inter-pro clash. “There are three, maybe four, massive games lying ahead for Ulster. This is the reason you work so hard in pre-season, do all the video analysis - for big games like these when you can measure yourself against the best. It’s not about the semi-final or the final at this stage, we’re 100% focused on taking each game at a time. Although we have made the semis we still have to push for home advantage with wins over Munster and Glasgow.” At points during the season, some questioned whether Ulster would get to this position, as injuries, suspensions and poor form disrupted momentum on more than one occasion. But the 32 year old suggests the team is peaking at the right time: “We took a lot of confidence from the win over Leinster, especially the last five minutes when we defended magnificently. There are maybe one or two players who are missing at the moment so it’s great that the coaches now have almost a full squad to select from and that’s exactly where you want to be at the end of the season.” The well-documented injury list has led to Franco playing slightly more than he might have expected, missing just one fixture - January’s away success at Treviso. Despite the attritional nature of the modern game, in which players

are rotated regularly, he believes that playing matches on a consistent basis helps his form. “I am sort of used to playing every single game from my time in South Africa. I don’t mind playing every game but hats off to the coaches and the management, especially our conditioning coaches JD (Jonny Davis) and Kevin (Geary) for the way they managed me throughout the season, and particularly during the period when we had ten consecutive games.” He continued: “The season is long and some guys tend to forget the little details, stop doing analysis of opposition, but it’s important for us to stay motivated and ensure our work ethic remains high. It’s important to keep the guys on their toes and I like doing that,” he says with a wry smile. Van der Merwe insists there are reasons to be positive off the pitch as well: “There is so much good work happening across the organisation. People look at what’s happening on the pitch but there’s a lot of work happening in the Academy with young guys coming through. I must say I think I’m pretty lucky with my timing in coming to Ulster. All the structures, the support, and obviously the facilities are world class. I know I’ve said that a few times but it’s true. All those factors have made it a lot easier for me to settle in.” With one Springbok cap to his name, coming in the 2013 Rugby Championship match against New Zealand, van der Merwe has not given up hope of adding more: “It will always be a great privilege to represent my country and if I can do that it will be great. But for me at the minute it is about focusing on the way Ulster plays and the way forward with Ulster. If the team does well then the individual will stand out. I need to focus on what my job is for Ulster and hopefully the selectors will see something that they like.” There’s no doubt that Ulster fans have seen something they like from him already this season with his incredible work rate and consistency on the pitch, and his affable nature off it. If he can help deliver the PRO12 trophy come 30th May, his popularity will soar even further.

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE

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ULSTER RUGBY

www. ulster rugby.com