‘I want to win trophies’: Munster newcomer Marnus van der Merwe raring to prove his worth

For Marnus van der Merwe, moving to Munster feels right. At 29, the South African hooker should be entering the prime of his career, and helping to make both himself and Munster better could make these years his most rewarding. After swapping the red of Scarlets for that of Munster, van der Merwe will kickstart this potentially defining phase in his career in Friday’s preseason friendly against Leicester Tigers at Cork’s Virgin Media Park (7.15pm), having overcome the calf injury that sidelined him last April, scuppering his Springboks aspirations for the Greatest Rivalry series.He scored two tries on his Boks’ debut against Georgia in July last year and appeared off the bench in their Rugby Championship wins over Australia and New Zealand. Head coach Rassie Erasmus even namechecked his injured hooker in advance of the recent series. Van der Merwe said: “I think for anyone that has been there, it’s tough missing out, but I’m just focusing on getting back now. It was nice hearing that, but for me now it’s just stacking up performances, getting back to full health and making sure I’m good.”READ MOREIn his first media briefing as a Munster man, he said the province was his primary focus, but he didn’t disguise his ambitions for next year’s World Cup. “It would mean the world to me, especially for my family as well. That was the plan about four years ago, to make this World Cup. Nothing has changed. I had a little bit of a setback, but nothing has changed,” he said.It’s a further measure of his commitment that he is living on his own in Limerick while his wife Anika and four-month-old daughter Ine await their visas in order to join him in their new adventure.'I think everyone knows where we’re working to,' Marnus van der Merwe says. Photograph: Dan Clohessy/INPHO In addition to his recuperation and preseason training, he’s also helped coach the Munster women’s team, making no secret of his desire to be a coach after his playing career.For van der Merwe, Limerick reminds him of Bloemfontein, where he made his breakthrough with the Cheetahs. There was no rugby in his family tree and he initially concentrated on athletics, particularly the shot put and discus.“I just fell in love with rugby. All the sport I did was one-man sports. I did athletics and rugby. Rugby is more of a team sport. I just fell in love with the community and the fans and the playing style and all that. It’s what I did from a young age. To this day I feel the same as I did as a kid about the sport,” he said.After seven seasons with the Cheetahs, van der Merwe trod a well-worn path by joining the Scarlets in 2024. Powerful and abrasive, he enjoyed two good seasons there, winning the Supporters Player of the Season and making the United Rugby Championship (URC) Elite XV for the 2024-25 season.But his rationale for joining Munster was straightforward. “I think the history and the way they compete – they’re always in the top eight, and they won the 2023 URC. I want to win trophies, but the drivers are players. You can see it on TV, and then when I talked to Donk [head coach Clayton McMillan] and the way they spoke made me interested in actually coming here. I think they have the same drivers that I have. That’s the main thing,” he said.Of the remodelled Munster coaching ticket, van der Merwe said: “The set-up is good. I think everyone knows where we’re working to, so it makes it a lot easier. The environment is incredible.”Marnus van der Merwe in action for Cheetahs in Nelspruit, South Africa, in June 2023. Photograph: Dirk Kotze/Getty There’s been a changing of the guard in the Munster frontrow, with Jack Aungier and Kieran Brookes bringing a wealth of experience, while 23-year-old prop Ronan Foxe and 22-year-old hooker Max Clein have been promoted from the academy.But hard on the heels of Stephen Archer calling time on his record-breaking career, fellow stalwarts Niall Scannell, John Ryan and Oli Jager have all retired, while Roman Salanoa and Conor Bartley have been released. This week, McMillan went so far as to say: “I think we’ve significantly strengthened our frontrow stocks. We’ll still be tested there. It’s not an overnight thing. You’re not going to turn into the world’s best scrum just by signing a couple of guys, because it requires eight people pushing in the right direction at the same time, doing the right thing.”On the province’s new forwards coach Jimmy Duffy, McMillan said: “It’s been a big work-on for Jimmy and our forward pack. We’ve been putting a lot of effort into it, and I think the depth and the experience that we’ve brought in gives us a good chance of taking a step forward.”So these are changing times up front for Munster, and van der Merwe is committed to the cause. “Finding each other is the main thing, making sure we know how each one works. But behind the scenes we’re all working hard, and I think we’re on the right path. I don’t think we will be great at the start, but we’ll definitely be great at the end,” he said.Van der Merwe is also clear on what he wants to bring to the Munster mix.“Chasing breakdowns, making sure I’m a threat there and making sure my set-piece game is good. Then just bring the edge of physicality, like everyone knows all South Africans are. That’s the main thing,” he said.“I don’t want to focus too much on too many things, but just making sure that I get better and the coaches are helping me to get better. That’s all I can ask for.”