Salmaan Moerat soaking in the experience on first Bok tour

Stormers lock Salmaan Moerat is grateful to have received his maiden call up for the Springboks and is happy to just be involved in the set-up with any playing time considered a bonus, but he is hopeful of getting an immediate chance to show what he has got in the first match of the tour against Wales.

However, even if he is not included in the match 23, he will put all his effort and focus in preparing the squad for their first major challenge next weekend.

“I am just happy to be on the tour, but from what I’ve heard to watch the Welsh game against the Springboks is apparently amazing,” said Moerat.

“I can’t imagine what it must be like to play that game, just the atmosphere at the Principality Stadium. So that is going to be a special occasion and hopefully I can be a part of it, and if not I will do my best to help prepare the team for that encounter.”

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With this UK tour being his first as a Springbok, Moerat’s main goal is to take in as much as possible and improve himself as a player, and he will be using the first week with the squad in France to get used to the set-up.

“I am very excited just to be a part of the environment and see how they do things. We have an extra week to prepare now in France, so hopefully I get to know everyone a lot better and work my way around the system which will help me going forward,” explained Moerat.

“I just want to become a better rugby player over these four weeks and learn as much as possible from the senior guys and coaches and hopefully get an opportunity (to play), but if not I want to just enjoy the experience and take it all in.”

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Moerat believes that the squad picked for the end of year tour is an exciting one with a blend of experience and youth, and that it has been a very good year for the team due to the British and Irish Lions series result.

“The Springboks have had an exceptional year. Winning the Lions series after having not played for almost two years was an amazing achievement and from that sense we have a very good squad,” said Moerat.

“I think we have a good mix of experience and youngsters coming through, so it is going to be really nice to be in that environment, to learn from them and see what they’ve been doing throughout this year to make them the team that they are.”