'Not just a fetcher': Paul de Villiers plans to add more to Bok setup
SPOTLIGHT: When Paul de Villiers captained the Junior Springboks during the World Rugby U20 Championship in 2023, he had a calm presence about him, spoke with maturity and rarely fluffed his words.
Those same qualities and traits were evident during the Springboks’ press conference in Johannesburg, where De Villiers gave the media in attendance a window into his character and national team ambitions.
The 23-year-old, who had a cracking season with the Stormers, will make his senior international debut on Saturday either for the Boks against the Barbarians or the SA ‘A’ side versus Zimbabwe in Gqeberha.
De Villiers, who has previously been applauded for being a student of the game by Stormers defence coach Norman Laker, says he’s embracing the learning environment in the Bok camp.
“It’s only been a week, but an awesome week where I’ve learned a lot,” De Villiers told reporters.
“We’ve got awesome players in the squad that I can also learn a lot from.
“For me, it’s a perfect scenario, we’ve got good coaches here, and players that are keen to give advice and knowledge to us, newer ones.”
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The dynamic loose forward was a total revelation for the Cape Town franchise this season and played a key role up until the side’s semifinal exit in the URC.
His workrate on and off the ball made him one of the standout forwards during the campaign, and his ruthlessness at the breakdown was second to none.
De Villiers racked up a whopping 19 turnovers, completed 209 tackles, and scored seven tries on his way to collecting four man-of-the-match accolades in a row.
While the strongest aspect of his game may be fetching or “Jackling”, as many may call it, De Villiers believes he offers more than just being a ruck master.
“I’ve kind of formed into the fetcher role; that’s hopefully not the only thing that I contribute.
“It’s part of my job [fetching], I get selected because I bring that to the table. That’s not necessarily the only thing I can bring or must bring.
“I still don’t like to categorise myself only as a fetcher, I like to contribute in different ways, but when I get off the field, and I could’ve contributed in that way, it feels good.”
De Villiers will be eager to impress Rassie Erasmus this week and potentially earn a spot in the squad for the Nations Championship.
The youngster possesses almost the same attributes as the injured Kwagga Smith, who, over the years, has played an unconventional role in the Boks’ forward pack.
De Villiers realises the opportunity to fill the void left by Smith, although he says that is not his primary focus.
“If I get the opportunity for either team this weekend, it will be awesome.
“For now, my focus isn’t on taking someone else’s role, but it’s to keep on doing what I did for the Stormers and keep on working hard.
“I’m super excited, whether it’s playing against the Barbarians or Zimbabwe. I’m excited to get on the field, and hopefully do well in the system, and contribute.
“They [the coaches] motivate us to do our best and create the platform for us to express ourselves and play towards our talents.”
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