It has been a whirlwind week for Johan Mulder swapping the emotions of becoming a father for the first time with the demands of professional rugby.
The scrum-half stayed in Cardiff for the birth of his first child and missed last weekend’s defeat to Vodacom Bulls.
But with injury to Aled Davies the SOS call soon came and the 26-year-old has returned home to South Africa to join his teammates.
Mulder is one of eight changes made to the Cardiff side to face Hollywoodbets Sharks tonight (5pm GMT) and he admits it has been a whirlwind week.
Fatherhood and flights
He said: “We knew it was going to be touch and go whether she’d have the baby before we left.
“She gave birth on the Saturday night and the team flew out on the Monday, so it was just a bit too tight, especially without having any family in Cardiff.
“We had a girl, and her name is Lana. It’s probably the best feeling in my life so far. I’m really, really excited about it. I’m excited for the new journey and becoming a father.
“I flew in Saturday night and landed Sunday morning, met up with the boys on Sunday, and we had an off day anyway. Then it was a full week of training, full preparation. There’s probably a few more video calls to my wife to make sure everything’s fine back home. But other than that, it’s business as usual.”
Chasing Early Season Form
While the past week has been dominated by life off the field, Mulder has also been working to rediscover consistency following an injury setback earlier in the campaign.
He made a strong start to the season before suffering a fractured jaw during a training session in November.
Mulder rushed to get back for the Christmas derbies but has been frustrated by his form and is focussed on getting back to his best.
He continued: “I think I’ve been doing well so far this season, but I still feel I have a lot more to give and a lot more improvement to do.
“The season started off really well. I was very pleased with my first couple of games and then I got a jaw injury.
“That put a bit of a roadblock in my season. It’s been up and down from there. I’m trying my hardest to keep building on my performances, be the best that I can for the team and keep growing as a player.”
Back to the Shark Tank
Back in the number nine jersey, Mulder is back on familiar territory.
He came through the system at the Bulls and also spent time with the Griquas before joining the Blue & Blacks, with plenty of friends and rivals in the Sharks set-up.
He is also acutely aware of the challenges presented by the humidity of Durban and the Kings Park Shark Tank.
Mulder added: “Durban is very different. It’s very humid and very hot compared to Cardiff, where it’s cold most of the time. The Shark Tank can get quite windy as well, with the wind swirling inside the stadium.
“But the biggest challenge is definitely the humidity and the heat. The ball gets slippery – almost like soap – which is quite different to a normal rainy game.
“We’ve trained in it all week, trying to train as early as possible, but during the day it still gets really humid and hot. Those are definitely the challenges we face playing down here.
“But we’re not trying to look too much into the challenges. We’re just focusing on what we can control and going from there.”
