De Villiers in fitness race

South Africa captain and former Munster player Jean de Villiers faces a race to be fit for next year’s World Cup.

De Villiers was carried off during the Springboks’ 12-6 defeat against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday after twisting his left knee and suffering a dislocated knee cap.

Scans after the match revealed significant ligament damage, and 33-year-old De Villiers was assessed by an orthopaedic surgeon in Cape Town yesterday, who advised that the centre requires surgical reconstruction of the knee.