Flip van der Merwe Q&A

Nov 27 • General News, Super Rugby • 2646 Views • Comments Off on Flip van der Merwe Q&A

1. You Tweeted a photo of your PUMA boots on 18 November saying: “Been 5 months, great to put these boots back on”. What is the status of your injury – are you back in full training?

I felt good after going through a recovery period for my knee injury and started running again on the 18th but have suffered a new injury in training. The healing process is long and slow, and I will be pretty glad when I can get back on the field. Hopefully in time for the new Vodacom Super Rugby season.

2. It must be extremely frustrating to suffer an injury which counts you out ofselection for a Springbok tour – how do you stay fit and positive?

Injuries are every rugby player’s worst nightmare, you are never fully prepared for it. I gave myself a week or two to get over the emotional side of things before resetting my goals and focusing on achieving them.

3. Springbok selection must always be a priority, but do you place even more pressure on yourself during as a World Cup year to ensure your name is in the mix when the Bok squad is announced?

Being selected for the Springboks is a massive honour and once you get selected it’s even harder to stay there. If you only focus on being selected for the Springboks you are going to neglect the things you need to do be a Springbok. You must sweat the small stuff first ie. fitness, skills, rugby knowledge and win with your club before you will even be considered.

4. Missing a World Cup through injury must be the ultimate heartbreak for a player. How do you play with 100% commitment and push injury fears to the back of your mind?

I broke four ribs four weeks before the 2011 World Cup and could therefore not be considered. It was the worst time in my rugby career thus far. The funny thing with rugby is that when you don’t play 100% that’s when you get injured. 2015 is my year, I’m giving it everything.

5. The Vodacom Bulls Super Rugby fixtures begin with 3 home matches – do you prefer playing your home matches up first, or after returning from a tour Down Under?

Starting your campaign at home is always a good momentum builder for the season. If you want to reach the play offs in Vodacom Super Rugby you have to win your home games, so the draw suits us perfectly.

6. The Vodacom Bulls experienced a mixed bag in Vodacom Super Rugby last season – what do you expect the coaching staff to do to ensure a consistently high level of play?

Yes we were very close to that play off spot and unfortunately a couple of injuries prevented us from being our strongest at the business end of the season. Our coaching staff always ensure that we are prepared as best we can before the game,and then it is up to the players to take the week’s practice onto the field.

7. A lock’s relationship with the hooker is key. Are you excited to play with new signing Adriaan Strauss and what does he bring to the team?

Adriaan and I come a long way, having played together at school and at the Cheetahs. We room together when we’re with the Springboks so I am very excited to see the ‘Vanilla Gorilla’ in aBulls jersey. His skills and leadership will add a lot to our franchise and brand of rugby.

8. You have quite a few new faces in the Vodacom Bulls training squad – which of these youngsters stand out and why?

We should be careful to call them youngsters,cause these days the young ones are bigger than us old heads. I predict that we will see a lot of new talent at the Vodacom Bulls this year, guys like the Kriel brothers, Janse van Rensburg and Pierre Schoeman are all exciting and promising youngsters.

9. Which teams will be the biggest challenge for the Vodacom Bulls in Vodacom Super Rugby 2015 and which teams do you tip for the top 4 places?

Our biggest challenge will be the team playing against us in the final …

10. What do you enjoy most about the Vodacom Bulls?

I enjoy everything about the Bulls! Loftus, the fans, the blue jersey, Pretoria, but most off all I enjoy the people I get to work with at the Vodacom Bulls. Everyone you meet wants to make the Bulls a better team and also a better place to be.

11. What are you thoughts on the new PUMA Vodacom Super Rugby kit?

It’s a super cool design. I really like the way the Bull’s head wraps around the body and the reflective eye on the jersey gives it a unique look and feel.

12. Which boots do you play in and why do you choose to play in those particular boots?

I play in PUMA evoPower boots, they are the best suited for the conditions we play and helps me achieve my max performance.