De Villiers soaking up Brannas' advice
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Paul de Villiers is seizing his opportunities with the Stormers as the promising fetcher continues to hone his craft under the tutelage of Springbok world champion Deon Fourie.
Fourie's poaching prowess and disruptive play make him indispensable to the Stormers and the captaincy rests comfortably on his experienced shoulders.
A former Junior Springbok skipper with several age-group tournaments under his belt, De Villiers is tipped to succeed Fourie at the Cape outfit once the 38-year-old flanker calls it quits.
As the Stormers gear up for a tough Vodacom URC clash against unbeaten Leinster in Dublin on Saturday, De Villiers this week opened up on his development thanks to the guidance of Fourie and Dave Ewers.
"I had a lekker buildup going into the URC and Stormers rugby [this season]," said the 22-year-old, who has featured off the bench in the Capetonians' last five matches across all competitions.
"I played a bit of the Currie Cup [last season], which I think prepared me well. If I am honest with myself, it [the URC] is a step up, but I am just trying to adapt and get better with every game and try my best to stay in that matchday 23."
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"I'm in a very privileged position to have guys ahead of me that I can look up to," De Villiers added. "I am watching them on and off the field – what they do and how they prepare.
"I will go with a video or two just to get some advice. Sometimes, I still go into the wrong breakdown, but I do watch how Deon and Dave operate and I just soak up everything. It comes with experience. The more I learn, the better it will be."
Stormers forwards coach Rito Hlungwani is pleased with De Villiers' growth, emphasising the youngster's impact and potential.
"There has always been a plan," Hlungwani said. "A season ago, Paul started playing in the Currie Cup. We played a few young guys who we thought had the potential to play, so the plan is really coming together for us.
"Paul has been really good and we are quite happy with his progress. He has a high work rate, he is really smart around the field and he chases hard and never stops.
"It's nice to see Paul coming in and being impactful in such big games, and we are probably going to wake up in a couple of months and realise that Paul has got 15 or 20 Stormers caps. That is what we want."
Photo: Cole Cruickshank/Gallo Images
The post De Villiers soaking up Brannas’ advice appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
