PIERRE Schoeman still has four months to wait before he will be eligible to play for Scotland, but has admitted that the success of three compatriots has made him all the more eager to become involved with the national side.
The 26-year-old Edinburgh prop will qualify for Gregor Townsend’s side in July on the three-year residence rule, and if and when selected will follow in the footsteps of his fellow-South Africans Duhan van der Merwe, Jaco van der Walt and Oli Kebble.
The two Edinburgh backs and Glasgow prop Kebble have all made successful debuts for Scotland this season, and Schoeman has been particularly impressed by Van der Merwe, who he is sure has played himself into contention for a place in this year’s Lions squad.
“I’ve been massively impressed by them - I’m very proud of them,” Schoeman said. “It gives me a lot of inspiration and motivation to go and play for Scotland. You almost can’t sit in front of the telly and watch with your wife, because you just want to go outside and hit a tree or something. You just want to play as well.
“With Jaco, Oli and Duhan all coming into the team, it’s amazing for me to see that it’s a possibility that can come true. You can actually be part of it, give back and make a difference.
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“If you look at how well Duhan is playing at the moment, with his British and Irish Lions chances as well, it’s very inspiring and motivational. I always knew from his early days at the Bulls that he just needed a coach that backed him and a team where he could prove himself.
“And that’s what he’s done, first at Edinburgh and now with Scotland. He’s not a one-hit wonder or someone who’s had good luck. He’s really a world-class player.”
Schoeman signed for Edinburgh from the Blue Bulls in 2018, and it was when Scotland played South Africa at Murrayfield at the end of that year that he realised how exciting it would be to represent his new country.
“When we watched the Springboks play against Scotland - that was the first time I experienced it,” he said about a match that ended in a 26-20 win for the visitors.
“When the lights went off, the music starts and the whole crowd sing together . . . That was quite emotional to think that one day you can maybe play for Scotland.
“I’m eligible in July. So all of a sudden it can become a reality if you’re good enough.”
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