Scrum-half Johan Mulder is excited at the prospect of making his first start for Cardiff on Saturday against a side he knows well.  

Mulder played with and against many of the HollywoodBets Sharks players at school level and in the Currie Cup back in South Africa before joining the Blue and Blacks.

“It’s my first start of the season, after waiting a while, and I’m quite excited to get out on the field, feel the vibe and feel the crowds against an opposition I know,” said Mulder.

“I’ve played against a lot of them since school level as well, so I know them quite a while now.

“Then there’s a couple of boys that were with me in high school, and I won’t say best mates, but we know each other, we’ll go and drink a coffee in town just to catch up a bit.

“I know quite a few of them from playing against them.”

Mulder has had to adapt his game quickly this season, moving from a running game to a more tactical style.

He also highlighted the differences in style between the Currie Cup and BKT United Rugby Championship.

“I’ve learned a lot in the couple of months I’ve been here. I was used to only running the ball from everywhere, so I’ve had to adapt a lot to more of a kicking game, and when to control the game, which places are good to play in, which places you should slow down the ball and get a bit more control.

“I know I haven’t played that much but learned a lot and that’s already a win for me. It’s developed me as a player so I can only go up from there.”

“If you make a mistake, the other teams are a lot better on capitalising on that. At Currie Cup level, if there’s a knock, they’ll shift the ball, and they knock the ball on sometimes as well.

“Where if you knock on the ball here, now we have to scramble. My kicking game has developed a lot, so I feel ready for this one.”

The 25-year-old has settled in with the team quickly and is enjoying his experience in Wales.

“I think everybody is very friendly, welcoming and try to help each other,” added Mulder.

“Everybody’s out there to improve, help each other. There’s healthy competition in the group as well. I think this is a great place to come and play rugby.

“I didn’t actually have any expectations, I only visited Wales for a week before I came here.

“It’s been lovely, I’ve really enjoyed it, both me and my wife.

“It’s so different just to walk into the city and look around, have a drink or eat something. It’s a very, very nice environment to be in, I’ve been enjoying it a lot.”