After being on the wrong end of a terrible 34-32 upset to Japan, South Africa’s captain Jean de Villiers was under heavy criticism. According to The Telegraph, when asked if he was worried about losing his captain spot after the match, he replied by saying “Yes, I did. I am very aware of the criticism that he has come under for selecting me, and very grateful for the opportunity I have again to win”. In his 12th year as an international, the 34-year-old captain is receiving a lot of fire saying that he should be stripped of his spot and replaced by a younger, stronger more fit Damian de Allende.
De Villiers said that this was one of the hardest weeks in both his career and his life. When he asked about the performance against Japan he answered with “It has been tough, and it has taken time to absorb what happened. Japan showed their intent and shocked us. We have such a pride in the jersey and in representing South Africa, and we didn’t display that. Life throws curve balls at you, but you have to keep everything in perspective”. De Villiers also said he is very grateful again to have the opportunity to keep his captain spot against the next opponent Samoa as he hopes to bring the South African squad back to their winning ways.
