‘I want to win trophies’: Munster newcomer Marnus van der Merwe raring to prove his worth

For Marnus van der Merwe, moving to Munster feels right. At 29, the South African hooker should be entering the prime of his career, and helping to make both himself and Munster better could make these years his most rewarding.

After swapping the red of Scarlets for that of Munster, van der Merwe will kickstart this potentially defining phase in his career in Friday’s preseason friendly against Leicester Tigers at Cork’s Virgin Media Park (7.15pm), having overcome the calf injury that sidelined him last April, scuppering his Springboks aspirations for the Greatest Rivalry series.