Stormers loose forward Paul de Villiers has enjoyed a five game run for the franchise off the bench after making his debut in their Champions Cup clash against Harlequins in London last month. Picture: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
Former Junior Springbok star Paul de Villiers has enjoyed his recent run in the Stormers team and is learning as much as he can from star players such as Deon Fourie and Dave Ewers.
De Villiers played for the Junior Boks in two consecutive seasons, the first in 2022 when he played alongside guys who have gone on to become regulars for their franchises, like Ruan Venter (Lions), Cameron Hanekom (Bulls), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers) and Canan Moodie (Bulls).
The loose forward then captained the team in the 2023 U20 World Champs in South Africa, helping lead them to the semifinals where they were dumped out.
Since then he has been in the Western Province rugby setup, and now has finally broken into the Stormers system, making his debut off the bench against Harlequins in the Champions Cup in December.
He has gone on to feature in the next four straight games all off the bench, against the Sharks and Lions in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and Sale Sharks and Racing 92 in the Champions Cup.
De Villiers said he was loving his sudden flurry of matches for the franchise and was soaking up everything he could from the experience.
“I am obviously in a very privileged position to have guys ahead of me (at the Stormers) that I can look up to. Guys like Deon and Dave Ewers is here. I am talking about absolute fetchers,” said De Villiers.
“I am watching them on and off the field. What they do, how they prepare. Sometimes I go over a video or two and ask them for some advice.
“Sometimes I do go into the wrong breakdown. But I do watch Deon and Dave. How they operate on the field, to try and learn and soak up everything.
“I also think it comes with experience. I will get better at it, like they have gotten better. But the sooner I can learn and improve the better it will be for me.”
De Villiers is hopeful that he will retain his place in the Stormers match 23 for their huge URC match-up against Irish giants Leinster in Dublin this weekend, and says he is prepared should he be included.
“It is a proper side we’re playing, a good team but saying that, there’s a couple of things we didn’t get right this past weekend (against Racing) and it’s more about focusing on ourselves and executing better,” explained De Villiers.
“If we go in with the right mindset and right attitude and give it our all on the weekend, (a win) can mean a lot for us and our URC campaign, and give us a few points to take back home and build on that.”
Speaking about his build up to his Stormers debut, De Villiers said that playing in the Currie Cup was an important step in preparing him for the next level.
“If I take it back I actually had a lekker build up into Stormers rugby. I played a bit of Currie Cup which prepared me well. Only a few games a few seasons ago and then a bit more last season,” said De Villiers.
“Obviously URC is a step up from the Currie Cup, but I think just that experience of starting and playing off the bench in the Currie Cup prepared me well for the URC. It has been a step up but I am trying to adapt and get better every day and stay in that match 23.”
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