Duhan van der Merwe, Scotland's dynamic wing, has set his sights on leaving a lasting legacy for the national team. The 30-year-old is on the cusp of achieving a personal milestone - his 50th cap against the United States at Murrayfield Stadium on Saturday.
Van der Merwe, who made his debut in 2020, has already become Scotland's record try-scorer with 32 tries to his name. However, he sees this achievement as just the beginning and is now focused on making an impact in the autumn internationals, particularly in the Six Nations Championship.
"This is a really special moment for myself and my family," Van der Merwe said of reaching his 50th cap. "When I made my debut back five years ago, I never thought I'd be sitting here making my 50th. It's just a very special feeling."
Van der Merwe has been on the receiving end of several walk-ins and lucky tries against England during his time at Edinburgh, which he attributes to his hard work over the past couple of years.
"There's been a lot of special memories over the last five years," Van der Merwe said. "I'm not getting any younger, am I? I kind of have to make the most out of what I think I've got left."
For Van der Merwe, the autumn internationals are an opportunity to prove himself as a player and leave a lasting legacy for Scotland. He has set his sights on winning all four games in this campaign, which would be a significant achievement for the team.
"It's ambitious, but we want to be taken seriously as Six Nations contenders," Van der Merwe said. "We've been talking about that over the last couple of years. Hopefully, the day I retire, I'll be able to say I've won a Six Nations."
With a healthy Scottish representation on the summer British and Irish Lions tour and several key players returning from injury, Van der Merwe sees this as an ideal opportunity for Scotland to make a statement in the rugby world.
"It's going to be a big challenge, but we're confident," Van der Merwe said. "We've got some fresh faces coming in, and I think that will help us push on."
Van der Merwe, who made his debut in 2020, has already become Scotland's record try-scorer with 32 tries to his name. However, he sees this achievement as just the beginning and is now focused on making an impact in the autumn internationals, particularly in the Six Nations Championship.
"This is a really special moment for myself and my family," Van der Merwe said of reaching his 50th cap. "When I made my debut back five years ago, I never thought I'd be sitting here making my 50th. It's just a very special feeling."
Van der Merwe has been on the receiving end of several walk-ins and lucky tries against England during his time at Edinburgh, which he attributes to his hard work over the past couple of years.
"There's been a lot of special memories over the last five years," Van der Merwe said. "I'm not getting any younger, am I? I kind of have to make the most out of what I think I've got left."
For Van der Merwe, the autumn internationals are an opportunity to prove himself as a player and leave a lasting legacy for Scotland. He has set his sights on winning all four games in this campaign, which would be a significant achievement for the team.
"It's ambitious, but we want to be taken seriously as Six Nations contenders," Van der Merwe said. "We've been talking about that over the last couple of years. Hopefully, the day I retire, I'll be able to say I've won a Six Nations."
With a healthy Scottish representation on the summer British and Irish Lions tour and several key players returning from injury, Van der Merwe sees this as an ideal opportunity for Scotland to make a statement in the rugby world.
"It's going to be a big challenge, but we're confident," Van der Merwe said. "We've got some fresh faces coming in, and I think that will help us push on."
. He's been with the team for 5 years now and already achieved so much like scoring 32 tries which is insane ! 
. I feel like he's got a special vibe about him, you know? He's not just playing for himself but also for his family and the country, that's really admirable 
. The way he thinks ahead to leaving a legacy is super cool too 
. I mean who wouldn’t want to be remembered as one of Scotland’s greatest rugby players ? 
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! Reaching 50 caps is a huge deal, but he's not done yet 
. He wants to make a lasting legacy for Scotland and prove himself in the Six Nations. You know what would be awesome? If Scotland can pull off winning all four games this campaign 
. It'll be a game-changer for the team and Van der Merwe will have his moment of glory 
. Plus, with some fresh faces coming in, it's gonna be interesting to see how they mesh together 
. His attitude towards playing is so inspiring - never getting tired of pushing himself and wanting to leave a lasting legacy for his country 
. I'm excited to see him take on the US and hopefully win all four games in the Six Nations too 
!
. He's not just happy with personal achievements, but wants to make an impact on the team and prove themselves as contenders in the Six Nations 
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. He's setting ambitious goals for himself and his teammates, which is exactly what you need from a leader on the pitch. The fact that there's a healthy representation of Scottish players in the summer Lions tour bodes well for Scotland's future 
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! Duhan van der Merwe's records are breaking left and right, and Scotland needs players like him to carry the team forward 
!