Flying Duhan is pick of the ‘Jock Boks’

THERE was something painfully familiar about Scotland’s collapse in Dublin. As good as they’d been in the opening half hour, they were equally as poor in the second half. It was a hugely underwhelming end to their year, but the one shining light in a Scotland jersey stood head and shoulders above the rest. Duhan van der Merwe. Even the mere mention of his name will now send a shiver down the spine of any opposition defence. His quick thinking to score against the Irish — picking the ball up at the base of a ruck and slaloming his way past a string of would-be tacklers — was a supreme example of skill and opportunism. It was his third try in five caps since making his debut against Georgia in October, and the 25-year-old has been the find of the autumn period for Scotland. Now he looks certain to start on the wing in next year’s Six Nations opener at Twickenham. For those who watch Edinburgh on a regular basis, his recent performances are unlikely to have come as much of a surprise. The reigning Pro14 Players’ Player of the Year, Van der Merwe has been a revelation since arriving in the capital in 2017. The numbers he produces on a regular basis are ludicrous. Like the 150 metres he made with ball in hand against Italy in November. In the army of so-called ‘Jock Boks’ Gregor Townsend now has at his disposal, South Africanborn Van der Merwe is without question the pick of the bunch.

Scotland back-rower Blair Cowan believes ‘Dewy’, as he’s known to his team-mates, is just getting started. ‘The man’s a savage. He’s a freak,’ said Cowan, who came off the bench in the second half for his first cap in almost five years. ‘I’m just glad I’m on his side. I couldn’t think of anyone worse to try and stop. ‘I like defending, but I wouldn’t enjoy defending against him. He’s got it all. He’s not just a physical freak — he’s hungry and he’s good at reading the game. ‘We’re pretty lucky to have him and I can see him making a top job of the position for many years. ‘He creates opportunities, and the more that we get the ball into his hands with space, the more we are going to capitalise on his talents.’