“Springjock” tag resurfaces as Duhan van der Merwe discusses Test future

The explosive Edinburgh winger endured a miserable championship campaign, featuring for just 55 minutes across the tournament.

His only appearance came in round three against Wales, where Scotland delivered a flat and underwhelming performance.

Now, with the summer tour approaching, Van der Merwe is eager to discover where he stands in Townsend’s plans after a season that has tested both his patience and resilience.

Despite his frustration, the 30-year-old remains fully committed to Scotland and has once again ruled out any possibility of representing his native South Africa.

Van der Merwe has become one of Scotland’s most feared attacking weapons since arriving from France, combining raw power, pace and relentless finishing ability. But away from the thunderous carries and spectacular tries lies a player with a deep emotional connection to the country that transformed his career.

“When I speak about it, I get really emotional because it’s a country that has given me so much when I had nothing,” Van der Merwe admitted.

The powerhouse winger’s journey to becoming Scotland’s record try-scorer was far from straightforward.

After a difficult spell with Montpellier — including a failed medical — Edinburgh offered him an opportunity when few others would.

“I went over as a young boy and people don’t understand how hard it is leaving your family behind,” he explained.

“My English wasn’t good at all. It was tough adapting to a completely different country and culture.

“People don’t see the amount of sacrifice and hard work that goes into it because nothing was guaranteed. I wouldn’t be sitting here without it.”

5 Ex-England players that could swap nations for 2027 Rugby World Cup

Multiple former England stars now ply their trade 'in exile' of the Premiership, or are eligible to represent a new nation having spent more than three years away from the Test match stage.

In this article, we will review some former England players that could be on their way to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, and don the colours of a new nation for the tournament out in Australia.

England fans have certainly missed the contributions of lock David Ribbans, with a possible change to green and gold on the cards for the South-African born second row. Whilst Ribbans has never ran out in a Test match for the Springboks, the former Western Province man has given Rassie Erasmus plenty of reason to select him for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Ribbans has been tearing up trees with RC Toulon in the Top 14, since departing England following the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The 29-year-old is in the form of his life, with a place rightfully earned in the illustrious Top 14 Team of the Season for the latest 2024/25 campaign.

Ribbans was ever-present in the Toulon engine room, and was one of the first names on the team-sheet in the side's play-off securing season. Whilst on the books with Northampton Saints from 2017 to 2023, Ribbans made his England debut in the 2022 Autumn Series against Japan, and collected a total of 11 caps for Steve Borthwick's side and a Bronze medal from the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

After commanding the England midfield for 27 caps from 2019, it was a shock to see Joe Marchant pursue pastures new following the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Whilst Marchant's run with the England team only lasted a single four year cycle, the former Harlequin had a significant impact across the England centres and wide channels. Marchant's impressive versatility made him a constant name within the England squad, with Borthwick unleashing the play-maker as his first choice midfielder throughout the World Cup.

Marchant had been a mainstay of Twickenham since 2015, albeit aside from a season-long sabbatical in 2019 with the Blues in Super Rugby. With his New Zealand experience propelling Marchant into the Test match conversation, Marchant returned to Harlequins to win the Premiership title in the 2020/21 season. Now a long-serving Harlequins faithful, Marchant would then pursue a new adventure in 2022, with an agreement made with Stade Francais for a move to France following the Rugby World Cup.

Looking at Marchant's unique mix of family ancestory, the midfielder has Italian and Trinidadian heritage on his father's side. Whilst the Caribbean island of Trinadad & Tobago are a way off qualifying for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, the former England man could well run out for Gonzalo Quesada's Azzurri for the tournament. Marchant has the versatility to slot in seemlessly to any back-line, with his international experince and on-field athleticisim offering an exciting addition to the young gun Italian outfit.

Marchant already has a former Harlequins teammate running out with the Italians, as Louis Lynagh has followed his Azzurri roots for his international career. Also, an honourabale mention is in store for Alex Lozowski, as the Saracens centre last played for England in 2018, and is eligible to play for Italy now should he get the call for the upcoming Autumn Nations Series.

What a phenomenal way this would be for Manu Tuilagi to end his international career. The 60-capped England international stayed on in the Premiership for a season longer than the plethora of departing teammates, as Tuilagi ran out for Sale Sharks for the 2023/24 campaign. However, the Samoan bulldozer would depart Salford in a move to Bayonne in the Top 14, to also end his England Test career.

Tuilagi's last involvement in an England jersey was the 2024 Six Nations clash with France, for a 21-minute appearance off the bench in Paris. This involvement has subsequently pushed Tuilagi's stand-down period from international rugby back to March of 2027, when a 35-year-old midfielder could look for a run in the Samoan squad for that year's Rugby World Cup in Australia.

Even a season or two ago, the likelihood of this happening was rather far-fetched, as Tuilagi had wrestled injuries for the best part of five years. The latter part of his run with Leicester Tigers was hindered with trips to the recovery wards, yet Tuilagi looks to have a new lease on his fitness out in France. Tuilagi was tremendous in Bayonne's latest Top 14 campaign, as he was a stalwart of the side's fourth placed finish. The centre earned his spot in the Top 14 Team of the Season, alongside his former England teammates David Ribbans and Jack Willis.

Twice-capped for England under Eddie Jones, hooker Nic Dolly is currently knocking on the door for a run with the Wallabies squad. A former front rower for Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers and Coventry, Dolly made his England caps against South Africa in the 2021 Autumn Series, and then against France in the 2022 Six Nations. The 26-year-old decided to cut his losses and ended his England career, given the depth of hookers that were all vying to surpass the ever-present Jamie George.

Dolly would pursue his Australian heritage with a move to Western Force, coming after an injury-riddled final season with Leicester. Dolly would head 'down under' ahead of the 2025 Super Rugby season, where he made his debut for the Force this past February against Moana Pasifika. A solid season saw the hooker make 13 Super Rugby appearances, with eleven starts under his belt for the Perth side.

A memorable first year in Australia was capped off for Dolly, as he was as a replacement for the Western Force's recent clash with the British & Irish Lions. Taking on his former England camp teammates Maro Itoje and Elliot Daly, the Force were well beaten by the Lions (54-7), as Andy Farrell's side were seeking revenge following their upset defeat to Argentina. Dolly has since extended his stay with the Western Force through to 2028, and will be pushing to make the Wallabies squad for the 2027 Rugby World Cup on his new home soil.

A double helping to close out our article, as the veteran England pairing of Mako and Billy Vunipola will be eligible to play for Tonga at the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Mako could make his debut for the Sea Eagles before his back-row brother joins him in camp, as the former England prop last played a Test match in the 2023 Six Nations, whilst Billy ran-out on the Test match stage until the Rugby World Cup semi-finals.

The Vunipolas would depart Saracens together, at the end of the 2023/24 Premiership season, in what was the end of an era for the London club.

Billy & Mako departed alongside Owen Farrell,as the brothers headed to the French Top 14 along with the former England fly half. Billy moved to the South Coast with Montpellier, whilst Mako arrived upon the North shores with his transfer to to the newly promoted RC Vannes.

Whilst Farrell has since returned to Saracens after an underwhelming season with Racing 92, Mako and Billy look set to extend their stints in France. Whilst the prospect of the legendary Vunipola brothers returning to England would be a draw in the Premiership, the prospect of seeing the pair represent Tonga in 2027 sparks plenty of excitement to help the Pacific Island nation grow.

The changes to the eligibility laws have been wondrous for the smaller Pacific Nations so far, as former All Blacks Malakai Fekitoa and Lima Sopoaga habe since returned to Tonga and Samoa respectively, whilst former Wallabies fly half Christian Leali'ifano has also gone on to represent Samoa. The window will be there for Mako and Billy Vunipola, for a momentous final farewell in new international colours.