De Villiers on fire after coming in from the cold

WHEN Springbok Jean de Villiers was dropped by Tony McGahan for Munster’s Heineken Cup game against Treviso last October, the big question was how would he react to demotion.

Would he behave like a prima donna and sulk – or would he knuckle down and fight to regain his place? The answer came quickly and the sight of the South African great rolling up his sleeves collecting track suits and tending to the water bottles of the match day squad, dispelled any anxieties.

All the time, though, the hurt at losing his place was constant. Getting engaged to Marlie Le Roux on a short trip to Portugal helped. So, too, did some game time for South Africa against Ireland at Croke Park.