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Paul de Villiers set for litmus test against All Blacks Paul de Villiers faces his sternest examination yet as he starts at flank against the All Blacks. Paul de Villiers will earn just his fourth Test cap at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday when he lines up against the All Blacks. After this week’s emotional rollercoaster of a build-up to the first of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’s four-Test series between the No 1 and No 2 ranked sides in the world, the stage is well and truly set for an epic battle. But not before injuries threw a spanner in the works for both the highflying Springboks and resurgent All Blacks. The hosts have lost skipper Siya Kolisi to injury, while the visitors have had to send home and replace four players (Caleb Clarke, George Bell, Ollie Norris and Billy Proctor). But even those setbacks have done little to dampen the mood and the anticipated for what is arguably the blue-ribbon fixture in all of world rugby. As he has done in the past, Pieter-Steph du Toit steps in the fulfil the captaincy role for the Springboks and coach Rassie Erasmus has called on Stormers youngster De Villiers to fill the void at openside in Kolisi’s absence. Having made his Test debut against England at Ellis Park last month, the 25-year-old later featured against Scotland and Wales to bring his international tally to three caps. BOK COACHES ADAMANT DE VILLIERS IS THE BOY FOR THE OCCASION When asked if this will be some sort of baptism of fire for De Villiers, Erasmus immediately pointed at his readiness for a pressurised contest like this one. “Look at every player individually. This is Paul’s fourth Test, and his first Test against the All Blacks,” he said. “I think he doesn’t feel too calm, but how Siya, Marco [Van Staden], and Brannas [Deon Fourie] have helped him in the last few weeks, I think he knows his job very well and he’s very focused.” Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick went a step further and credited the Springbok coaching staff for backing De Villiers early in his career. “The trust that we’ve showed in Paul de Villiers from the beginning against big teams gave him an opportunity and now everyone is talking about him,” he said. “One thing that I enjoy about him is his maturity at that age,” Stick added. “He understands his role very well in the team and like we always say, irrespective of your age, if you take full ownership of what needs to be done in the team, you are also a leader and a senior in your space.” Saturday’s challenge, though, is unlike anything De Villiers has faced during his short career so far. “Playing against the All Blacks is a different beast, it’s probably one of the toughest games you can ever play in your career,” Stick admitted. “But I must say the boy is very smart when it comes to his head and the way he works. “He’s the right person for the job because he’s a warrior who doesn’t stand back for anyone and that’s what you need for this game.” FACING THE ALL BLACKS FOR THE FIRST TIME A breakdown bandit himself, the timing of De Villiers’ introduction to rugby’s fiercest rivalry coincides with New Zealand’s breakdown tactics drawing scrutiny from South African franchises and subsequently the Bok camp. The Stormers, Sharks and Bulls coaches all reported “tucked shoulders” and reverse-arm cleanouts during their recent tour games against the All Blacks, and Springbok assistant Felix Jones later flagged that pattern as a consistent theme among teams coached by Dave Rennie. And while Rennie and the All Blacks vehemently denied the claim, De Villiers now walks straight into that exact contest as a breakdown specialist who loves to compete for the ball on the ground. “When we talk about the breakdown, it’s not about stealing the ball,” Erasmus explained. “They [the All Blacks] keep you on the ground, you come off the ground when they’re done cleaning up. “The Boks will steal the ball in the right place, but he is more than that [a fetcher],” Erasmus argued. “He’s a great ball carrier, he’s a great cleaner, he’s flipping good behind the ball, and he’s a great scrambler on the side of the scrum.” “Paul is the kind of player that is above average in most areas with three or four areas where he is world class,” Erasmus offered. BOK STALWART SIGNS OFF ON THE DE VILLIERS HYPE Du Toit, who packs down alongside De Villiers and Jasper Wiese in the back row, echoed his coach’s sentiments about Paul de Villiers’ all-round capabilities. “One of his strengths is his fitness,” Du Toit said. “He’s a very fit guy and has good speed as well, and very strong, especially when he’s over the ball.” That combination, Du Toit explained, gives South Africa a different dimension at the breakdown specifically: “He brings us a different strength when it comes to the breakdown.” Du Toit, who sits on 98 Test caps, explains he has also been pleasantly surprised by De Villiers’ communication despite his relative inexperience at Test level. “He’s a young player, but he also acts like a senior. He’s very comfortable in his body, in his position, and in who he is as a person,” the stand-in skipper added. These assessments place considerable weight on a rising star facing New Zealand for the first time. Only time will tell whether or not De Villiers can meet that billing against the All Blacks under the bright lights at Ellis Park. And said time will be when referee Matthew Carley blows the final whistle Saturday night.