Springboks Legends and Current Stars Hail ‘Brüssow-Like’ Paul De Villiers
- Stormers flanker Paul de Villiers has featured in every Springbok match-day 23 this season, the only recent debutant to achieve that distinction
- Bakkies Botha pinpointed de Villiers' extraordinarily low body position as the key reason the 23-year-old is disrupting opposition ball at the breakdown
- Kwagga Smith, who occupies the same position, praised de Villiers' attitude and willingness to seek advice from senior players in camp
Paul de Villiers has drawn high praise from Springbok legends Bakkies Botha and Kwagga Smith after the 23-year-old Stormers flanker made a rapid impression on the Test arena this season.
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Both players spoke at the Johannesburg announcement of Castle Double Malt as the title sponsor of the Greatest Rivalry tour, which will see the Springboks face the All Blacks across seven fixtures, including matches against the four provincial franchises.
De Villiers' rise to Springbok fixture
De Villiers made his debut in the exhibition against the Barbarians in Gqeberha before stepping into the starting XV at short notice against England in Johannesburg, replacing an ill Siya Kolisi. He retained his place for the Test against Scotland in Pretoria, where he produced his most complete performance to date: eight ball carries, two defenders beaten, 63 metres covered, 16 tackles completed, and one turnover claimed.
He is one of only four players, alongside Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jesse Kriel and Ben-Jason Dixon, to appear in every Springbok match-day squad this season. The other three are established figures in the setup. De Villiers is the only player among them making his first steps at the Test level.
What Botha and Smith said
Former Springbok forward Botha reserved high praise for Paul de Villiers, describing the flanker as an outstanding talent who has already demonstrated his quality whenever given an opportunity.
According to Botha, de Villiers' low body position is one of his greatest strengths, making him exceptionally effective at the breakdown. He explained that the loose forward's influence goes beyond simply winning turnovers, as his ability to slow opposition ball by a second or two gives South Africa's defensive line valuable time to organise. Botha believes that disruption at the breakdown has been a major factor behind the Springboks' defensive success.
Meanwhile, injured Springbok loose forward Kwagga Smith dismissed any suggestion that de Villiers' emergence threatens his place in the squad. Smith recalled meeting the youngster during an alignment camp, revealing that de Villiers approached him for advice almost immediately, something he viewed as a sign of the player's humility and eagerness to improve.
Smith said that willingness to learn is highly valued within the Springbok setup. He added that de Villiers has performed impressively so far and believes the young forward has a bright future, provided he continues developing at the same rate.
With the upcoming Greatest Rivalry series and the Rugby World Cup drawing closer, de Villiers has strengthened his case as a specialist breakdown operator, giving Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus a player capable of filling a role reminiscent of Heinrich Brüssow's influence in previous years.
Springboks star celebrates after hitting 50th cap
Briefly News previously reported that Springbok speedster Cheslin Kolbe described reaching the 50-Test milestone as a dream come true after helping South Africa to a convincing 45-21 victory over England on Saturday.
The electric winger celebrated his landmark appearance in style, scoring a try and adding five successful conversions as the Springboks opened their Nations Championship campaign with an impressive bonus-point win.
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Source: Briefly News
