Madosh Tambwe says he would relish playing for the Springboks should he earn a call-up for the June series against Wales in South Africa.
The wing has been in sensational form for the Vodacom Bulls, scoring four tries in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, and beating 44 defenders and making nine clean breaks, as well as gaining 844 metres.
Tambwe, who has been linked with a big-money move to French club Bordeaux, was reportedly not eligible for Bok selection as he is Congo-born and does not have a South African passport.
Yet, the 24-year-old is as determined as the rest of SA’s top wings to get an opportunity to play Test rugby in the green and gold.
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“It’s massive to be called up to the national team and I’m excited to find myself in that box of players that could make it to the June Tests,” Tambwe said.
“You also have to give credit where it’s due because there are World Cup-winning guys who are playing well in those positions.
“Makazole Mapimpi is playing well for the Sharks and Cheslin Kolbe may be in France, but he’s also doing well there. They’ve been in and out of the Bok camp in the past two years, but they’d definitely be the safe net for selection.
“If I do crack the nod, it would be amazing to play in the June series.”
But, first and foremost for Tambwe, is the Bulls’ showdown with Ulster on Saturday in Pretoria, and the ex-Sharks speedster reckons the Irish sides in the URC are proving as tough as any team from New Zealand.
“We’ve now got the gist of how they play and we know they’re going to play for the full 80 minutes,” he said. “They test your skill set, they test your defensive systems and how well you’ve done your homework when it comes to your attacking game.
“We’re in a better place now as compared to when we started the competition and we have a fair platform to test ourselves against those teams.
“They’re very similar to the New Zealand teams in terms of what they bring to the table in terms of testing everything you have.”
