Morne van den Berg set to fulfil Johannesburg dream against All Blacks

Morne van den Berg will run out at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium for his first Test in his home city on Saturday, with the Springbok scrumhalf preparing to face the All Blacks in front of an expected crowd of more than 80,000.

The Lions player, affectionately known as ‘Krappies’ by his team-mates, grew up supporting the Johannesburg-based side and has named Ricky Januarie, Jano Vermaak and Faf de Klerk as the scrumhalves who influenced him most.

Van den Berg says De Klerk was the player he most admired as he developed his own game, although he insists he has never tried to reproduce his fellow Springbok’s style by studying his videos.

“I grew up as a massive Lions fan, so I really loved watching Ricky January, and then Jano Vermaak after that. And as I got older, Faf de Klerk became the player I really looked up to.

“To be honest, if I wanted to be like somebody, it would probably be Faf. But I won’t say I go and watch his videos and try to copy his style.”

Van den Berg made his debut for the Lions at the iconic stadium and said returning there as a Springbok, particularly in the second Test of the series against New Zealand, would make the occasion even more significant.

“I’m very excited to play a Test in Johannesburg at the FNB Stadium” said Van den Berg on Wednesday.

“We trained there this week and it’s an amazing stadium. The whole team is buzzing and excited. With close to 90 000 supporters there, it’s going to be incredible.”

The fixture is the third Test in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry and comes after South Africa beat New Zealand 33-26 in Cape Town last weekend. Van den Berg made his Test debut in that match and described the experience of facing one of the world’s leading teams as particularly memorable.

“It was a really cool experience. They are one of the best sides in the world, and to experience that intensity first hand was great,” he said.

Van den Berg is expected to earn his ninth Test cap if he comes on from the replacements bench. He was also asked about the scrum, which has been a major talking point in the media during the week, but played down his expertise on the technical details.

“I’m probably the wrong guy to ask technical scrum questions. I play what’s in front of me and as a back the boys have a job to do.”

The Springboks’ clash with the All Blacks at FNB Stadium kicks off at 17:10 on Saturday.