Cardiff Blues Target Ulster Star
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Cardiff Blues are reportedly targeting Ulster’s Franco van der Merwe.
The Welsh side are looking to strengthen their second-row department for next season, with the South African said to be top of their wish list. Van der Merwe has one cap for the Springboks and has been ever present with the northern province since joining from the Lions in 2014.
Now it looks like the 33 year-old may be about to leave Ulster at the end of the season in favour of a move across the pond with the Blues.
Cardiff have apparently been in the market for a lock for quite some time now. They tried to lure Luke Charteris and Bradley Davies to the Welsh capital in recent months, but were unsuccessful in their efforts with the locks joining Bath and Ospreys respectively..
At 6ft 6ins and 18st 4lbs, Van der Merwe would bring a real physical presence to the Cardiff pack. He is renowned for his technical expertise at the lineout, his strong scrummaging and outstanding work-rate and would be seen as a real coup for the Blues.
Ulster aren’t exactly rich in resources in the second-row department themselves, so whether or not they would allow him to leave remains to be seen.
