JdV comeback continues for WP

Editor

Springbok captain Jean de Villiers will get more game time for Western Province when they face the Eastern Province Kings in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

De Villiiers, who is on the comeback trail after a serious knee injury, played for 60 minutes in WP's warm-up match against the Pumas last weekend and WP coach John Dobson confirmed that his star centre would play for an hour again in Saturday's friendly against the Kings.

"He's hinted at playing longer this week but he's not going to get it," Dobson told Sport24

"It'll be exactly the same – 60 minutes."

There were concerns over a calf strain after the Pumas game, but Dobson said De Villiers was ready to return to action. 

"The calf is fine," added the coach.

"He trained full out now. 

"Contact-wise he's brilliant. Acceleration is still the issue and I think the calf and the knee combined are a threat there."

Dobson revealed that De Villiers has shown improvement in heavy contact situations.

"I thought on Saturday (against the Pumas) he was at 100%," he said. 

"The only thing I spoke to him about afterwards was the acceleration. 

"I think he's worried about the calf an it was a heavier field but he trained full today."