Recovery from a knee operation prevented Van der Merwe from contributing to the Vodacom Bulls 2013 campaign, but his efforts in the Absa Currie Cup later in the season made up for lost time.
The former Cheetahs prop has great ball carrying ability and scores tries regularly. His real value will be in the set-pieces with his ability to pack both sides of the scrum and strong support play in the drive.
Competition for a starting berth amongst the props will keep all of them on their toes and his all-round game might just give Van der Merwe the edge over the other contenders.