Paul de Villiers has made clear he intends to contribute across the board as he prepares for his first senior cap, despite his reputation as one of the most effective fetchers in South African rugby.
The 23-year-old, who captained the Junior Springboks at the 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship, enjoyed a standout campaign with the Stormers, recording 19 turnovers, 209 tackles and seven tries en route to the URC semi-finals. His relentless work at the breakdown earned him four consecutive man-of-the-match awards, but De Villiers is determined not to be pigeonholed.
"I've kind of formed into the fetcher role; that's hopefully not the only thing that I contribute," De Villiers told reporters in Johannesburg. "It's part of my job, I get selected because I bring that to the table. That's not necessarily the only thing I can bring."
De Villiers will make his debut on Saturday, either in the Springboks' clash with the Barbarians or for SA 'A' against Zimbabwe, both matches taking place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha. The loose forward has embraced the learning environment in the national camp, praising both the coaching staff and senior players for their willingness to share knowledge.
"It's only been a week, but an awesome week where I've learned a lot," he said. "We've got awesome players in the squad that I can also learn a lot from. For me, it's a perfect scenario."
Assistant coach Deon Davids, who will oversee both the Springbok and SA 'A' teams this weekend, highlighted the positive energy generated by blending younger players with experienced internationals. "It's fantastic having the young players in the squad and mixing things up with the more experienced players," Davids said.