Payne: no change of heart from De Villiers

MUNSTER manager Shaun Payne has laughed off claims that new South African signing Jean De Villiers has had a change of heart about joining the province.

Payne insisted the big centre “was with us two weeks ago and spent some time having a look around Cork and Limerick. Having been with him and discussed the situation with him, there’s no chance of that.”

Payne revealed De Villiers will return to Ireland within hours of South Africa’s Tri Nations game with Australia on Saturday, September 12 ahead of the deadline for Heineken Cup registration five days later.