Paul de Villiers reveals what ‘makes it so much easier’ with the Stormers and gives his verdict on possible Springboks call-up
Paul de Villiers has been in superb form for the Stormers this season.
Stormers loose forward Paul de Villiers is relishing the prospect of going into battle against Leinster in Saturday’s United Rugby Championship (URC) semi-final at the Aviva Stadium.
De Villiers has been at the forefront of the Stormers’ title challenge and has been amongst the top performers in the competition this season.
The former Springboks U20 skipper has been particularly impressive on defence and is in joint-second position for turnovers won (18) and in fifth spot for tackles made (196) during the campaign.
De Villiers is aware of the magnitude of the task against Leinster, who are one of the heavyweights of the game and always a tough nut to crack on their home turf.
‘That’s what we’ve been working for all season’
“For players and for the team, that’s what we’ve been working for all season – to be here and to be playing in a semi-final,” he told reporters in Cape Town.
“And then, of course, to play against Leinster, which is a proper team, makes it an even bigger occasion.
“We understand we’re playing a very strong outfit. They are a team packed with internationals. It’s going to be a massive challenge.”
De Villiers delivered another outstanding performance for the Stormers in their URC quarter-final victory against Cardiff in Cape Town last Saturday when he made a match-high 15 tackles and also won two crucial turnovers.
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While he is happy with his current form, De Villiers hailed his team-mates, especially his fellow forwards, for helping him with his development as a player.
“Playing in a good team and behind a good pack makes it so much easier for the individual to fulfil his role and play his best rugby,” said the 23-year-old.
‘There’s still stuff we can do better’
“We’ve got an awesome pack and an awesome team, but there’s still stuff we can do better.”
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De Villiers is enjoying his breakout season with the Stormers and has delivered several outstanding individual performances during the Cape Town-based outfit’s URC and Investec Champions Cup campaigns.
His outstanding form has led to talk of a possible Springboks call-up for next month’s Nations Championship Tests against England, Scotland and Wales, but De Villiers is not focusing on that at the moment.
“For every player in the Stormers at the moment, the focus is only on Saturday,” he said.
“After that, we’ll see what happens, but for now it’s only about what we can do to make the team better.”
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