Coach Duane wary of Murrayfield factor

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Duane Vermeulen says he expects Murrayfield to give Scotland a lift as the Springboks brace to tackle Gregor Townsend’s side for the first time since the 2023 World Cup.

Sunday’s match will be the first clash between the two teams since the Springboks doused Scotland’s attacking fire in an 18-3 win in their World Cup opener in Marseille.

Scotland finished fourth at the 2024 Six Nations, running France close and claiming a record fourth consecutive victory over England at Murrayfield in February, when Duhan van der Merwe ran in a hat-trick of tries.

Townsend’s side are coming off an eight-try victory over Fiji and Vermeulen is wary of the atmosphere of Murrayfield giving the hosts a boost.

“Possibly,” Vermeulen said when asked whether Scotland had improved from last year. “I can’t say. Only Sunday will tell.

“They are definitely going to be up for it. It’s a home match for them, in front of their people and not in a neutral stadium. You want to be up for it when you play at home, you’ve got that pride within you.

“There’s a few guys who have been brought into their squad who have been playing well at franchise level. If you look back at last season’s [Vodacom URC] champions, it’s Glasgow. They are definitely doing something right, here in Scotland.

“We need to be wary of what we are going to get on Sunday.”

Vermeulen, now part of the Springbok coaching staff, acknowledged that South Africa has been carefully balancing experimentation with a winning mindset since the World Cup. With a view to nurturing depth, the Springboks have tested a large pool of players in the last year.

Loose forward Cameron Hanekom is the only uncapped player in the squad for the November tour, while tighthead prop Wilco Louw has been recalled and could earn his first cap since 2021.

“We are actually experimenting quite a bit,” Vermeulen said. “If you look at a guy like Ruan Nortje, he wasn’t even in the mix at the beginning of the year. We lost a couple of locks and had to look elsewhere. He played really well.

“Out of a squad of 45 guys [for the Rugby Championship], we’ve used around 39 or 40. So we did experiment quite a lot and gave guys an opportunity, to see where they are during the year. We gave guys a bit of a taste of international rugby, to see where they are in their journey.

“The coaches have a view of what guys can do and who is still not there yet. Looking forward, there is still a long road to the next World Cup. We are also busy building and getting the right guys in the right spots to get the perfect team.”

Since hanging up his boots, Vermeulen's transition into coaching has been a new challenge, but he's found the adjustment surprisingly smooth.

“The transition has been interesting. I actually thought it would’ve been a whole different thing, being closer to the players and more difficult to slot in with the coaches. It’s actually been the other way around,” he said.

“It was a fantastic welcoming from the coaches and staff. I slotted in quite quickly. You learn quite a lot and you learn quickly. You aren’t a player, but you know the players.

“I’m really enjoying my time. I’m learning on the trot, with every game. It’s been a year since retirement. I love every minute of being in the mix and growing as a young coach.”

Photo: Anton Geyser/Anton Geyser Media

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