Paul de Villiers, seen here tackling England's flyhalf Fin Smith, opened up about his sudden Springbok debut at Ellis Park and how the team's incredible structures kept him focused. Photo: AFP
The Springbok management’s meticulous planning and preparation, along with a few words of encouragement from captain Siya Kolisi, were more than enough for Paul de Villiers to tame his nerves as he ran onto the Ellis Park pitch on Saturday evening to earn his first Test cap.
De Villiers was an 11th-hour call-up before the Boks' opening Nations Championship clash against England. Along with Cameron Hanekom, both were promoted to the starting XV after injuries to Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth forced coach Rassie Erasmus to shuffle his matchday 23.
De Villiers revealed after the 45-21 victory that he was informed of the late change to the teamsheet hours before kick-off.
“They had a few fitness tests with Siya on Saturday morning,” said De Villiers, “and that’s when I heard about it."
