Rising Bok star Paul de Villiers on his studies and being a hybrid player
· Citizen
Springbok flank Paul de Villiers would like to expand his game so he can also offer cover in the backline if needed.
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The former Junior Bok captain also said he doesn’t currently aspire to captain the national team and is grateful to be part of the Springbok setup at the moment.
De Villiers featured in a 6-2 bench split against Italy on Saturday, the Boks winning the Nations Championship clash 66-7 in Turin.
Hybrid player
Ahead of the game, head coach Rassie Erasmus said De Villiers had been training to play in the backline, though they would not put him there unless there was an emergency.
There was no such opportunity on Saturday.
“Maybe if we get a yellow card or something like that he would cover an extra role like nine or something like that,” Erasmus said.
“I think he’s definitely got the skills, speed and feeling for the game. He’s done it at training sessions for us a lot.”
De Villiers, who has only played flank professionally until this point, said he had thought about contributing in the backline.
“I’ve looked at some of our backline players, they can cover in other positions, they’re versatile,” he said.
De Villiers simply happy to play for Boks
He said it was a privilege to captain the Stormers recently while Ruhan Nel was injured.
“It was awesome for me to get a chance. There are quite a few leaders there. So it was good for me to look around and have other leaders back me up and help me.
“For the moment, just playing for the Springboks is a massive privilege in itself. It’s about staying in this group, keeping my head down and staying humble.
“We’ll see what the future holds but you must be part of the group to get that opportunity. The focus will be to try and stay here and play good rugby.”
Studies
De Villiers said studying actuarial science after school was important because a career in sport could be cut short.
“I know there are also many factors involved in a rugby career, so I must be realistic. It’s important to have a plan B.
“I was a bit brave after school to tackle that specific course, but… I did get a degree online last year (in investment management), through Stadio, and will look to continue studying further again later.”
Following the Test against Italy in Turin on Saturday, the Boks move on to Paris and a match against France in the Nations Championship this Friday.