De Villiers: I’ve turned the corner

JEAN DE VILLIERS reckons being axed by Munster coach Tony McGahan for the province’s Heineken Cup battles with Perpignan last month has helped him “turn the corner” in his career with the Irish province.

The Springbok centre was bought to provide a new cutting edge to the Munster’s midfield but after a shaky start, he was dropped for the back-to-back clashes with the French outfit.

However, he came off the bench to score a vital try in the away tie at the Stade Aime Giral, and has now claimed five tries in 11 games.

“I struggled at the beginning when I arrived in Ireland and my form has been patchy. It didn’t help that the team weren’t playing well as a unit to begin with,” he told MunsterRugby.ie.

“But being dropped to the bench for the two games against Perpignan helped me turn the corner. Now it’s all about digging deep and working hard, but I feel much closer now to where I was as a player before I arrived than when I first started.”

De Villiers admits Munster’s performance in Perpignan was the “best game we have played this season”.

“It was a performance that revealed a lot to me about the Munster culture. Paul O’Connell is a great leader, but he gets so much support from guys around him. Then there is Munster’s 16th man, their incredible fans.

“We didn’t think we’d have much support in Perpignan, but it was amazing to see, and hear, so many of them in the ground. They really are full-on supporters and they back their team in bad times as well as good.

“The atmosphere they help to create at games, especially at Thomond Park is fantastic. In the smaller grounds in Europe you really feel the crowd. The Munster fans really are our 16th player and it’s great being on the pitch when they are backing you.”