Jean de Villiers talks about his friendship with Ronan O'Gara, his unexpected call up and why the tour has been a success.
De Villiers knew the deal when he signed for Munster. The northern sojourn represented an opportunity to test his skills in an unfamiliar environment, but it also meant his Springbok career was put on hold. The Bok centre accepted the terms, as he felt it a necessary sacrifice if he was to become a better player.
On Wednesday, De Villiers received a phone call that told him that for just one weekend, he could have his cake and eat it. He will continue to play for Munster in the coming months, but because of the injury to Adi Jacobs, he will play for the Springboks against Ireland on Saturday.
'I was in the gym on Wednesday morning and my coach told me he received a call from Andy Marinos. The call said they might use me against Ireland, and later in the day I got another call to tell me I was in.
'I always knew what I was getting into when I moved here and I know nothing's changed. I have no regrets of moving here and want to make a success of my time with Munster. I'm glad to get an opportunity, but I know it's just for one game,' he told keo.co.za.
'I was actually surprised when Peter de Villiers sent the other guys [the dirt-trackers] home, because that really opened it up for me.'
De Villiers will play from the bench this Saturday as will his Munster team-mate O'Gara for the Irish. The two were opponents in the 2009 British & Irish Lions series, but have since become good friends at Munster. He frowned when asked about the alleged animosity between the Bok and Lions players.
'I know how disappointed ROG was to be dropped for Jonny Sexton,' said De Villiers. 'I'll probably send him a few more texts before the Test just to rib him. It's going to be a great day for me, because I get to play for my country and I get to play against some of my mates. I'm sure we'll have a few beers afterward.
'I think all the talk of bad blood was unnecessary. I don't think there was any bad blood and I don't know where it comes from. I have a lot of friends in Ireland and I'm really looking forward to this game.'
De Villiers also rubbished talk of providing his team-mates with Irish secrets.
'I suppose I could offer secrets to both sides,' he joked. 'Seriously, I don't know how I would be able to aid the Boks in that respect, we all know the Irish psyche and the way they like to play. We all saw most of them when they toured with the Lions earlier this year.'
The Bok centre is also looking forward to playing against another Munster player in Keith Earls, who will start on the wing in place of the injured Luke Fitzgerald.
'Keith has all the skills and attributes and has really settled well on the wing. I'm sure he'll make the most of his opportunity this weekend.
'I haven't seen much of Sexton, and it's a big call to start him ahead of ROG. We'll see how it works out for them on Saturday, but you have to say Ireland are in a good position if the have ROG on the bench.'
Aside from losing to France, South Africa also failed in the midweek matches against Leicester and Saracens. De Villiers said that these games need to be viewed in context and that a lot of good has come from touring with an extended group.
'It was disappointing to hear about those losses and I received a lot of chirps when I went to Munster training. But you have to look at what we gained. Some players have put their hands up in those games which is a big positive. Sometimes you have to look past results in games like that. Unfortunately we are a results-driven country, but it's important to remember there were some good performances.'
De Villiers will reassess his future with Munster in February as he has a clause in his contract that allows him to opt out after one season. With the World Cup just around the corner, a return to South Africa seems likely.[/b]
