Penalty jibe got Rog onside, says de Villiers

Ronan O'Gara (R) of the British and Irish Lions tackles Fourie du Preez of South Africa during the Second Test match between South Africa and the British and Irish Lions at Loftus Versfeld on June 27, 2009 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Jean de Villiers has revealed how he used Ronan O’Gara’s collision with Fourie de Preez in the second Test between South Africa and the British & Irish Lions in 2009 as a cheeky way to break the ice with his new Munster team-mate a few months later.

The World Cup-winning Springbok centre joined the Irish province for the 2009-10 season, weeks after playing in the thrilling Test series win over the Lions. The second Test at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria was an epic that saw the tourists rebound from defeat in the opening encounter in Durban to take a 16-8 half-time lead. Heading into the final moments, the game was tied at 25-25 when replacement O’Gara went for a high ball with du Preez, made contact with the scrum-half and conceded a penalty which was nailed from 54 metres out by Morne Steyn to seal the series victory.