Jean doesnt need alucky charm

Ex Sport 24

Eastbourne - South Africa captain Jean de Villiers has not taken to tucking a rabbit's foot into his pocket, or under his pillow, even if his past Rugby World Cup experiences make turning to lucky charms quite understandable.

Injury has blighted the Springbok centre's previous World Cups, with just a handful of his 107 caps over the last 13 years coming at the tournament.

"I haven't had any time to get into good luck rituals at a World Cup because I've only slept two nights at past tournaments," he joked about his unfortunate run.

"I've had bad luck but what's in the past, is in the past," he said as South Africa arrived at the weekend for the 2015 edition in England. "So be it, what will happen will happen."

De Villiers missed out on the 2003 World Cup, some six months after he suffered a serious knee injury just five minutes into his debut against France.

He is officially a 2007 winner although he tore his biceps during the opening game of the tournament and took no further part.

At the last World Cup four years ago, he went off after just 25 minutes of the first game for the Boks against Wales in Wellington with a rib injury and made just a cameo appearance later on as South Africa exited in the quarter-finals.

De Villiers' inclusion in the squad for this year's tournament is something of a medical miracle.

Last November, he dislocated his kneecap and sustained significant ligament damage against Wales and was given little chance of playing again.

But he made a remarkable recovery to be recalled by coach Heyneke Meyer for the recent southern hemisphere Rugby Championship.

Then De Villiers broke his jaw last month against Argentina and is fighting to be fit for South Africa's first Pool B game against Japan in Brighton.

"I never go into a game thinking about getting injured. I never play a game not to get injured either. It's just about enjoying the occasion, it's definitely my last, and making the most of it," said the 34-year-old.

"When it's done, it's done so I want to make the most of it while I'm still in it."

Go well Jean!!!!!!  He has been a geat player

Please note that the following is just being objective - just an effort to get clarity on what may be on the cards if past rugby history is borne in mind.
I believe we have a good chance of having an extended injury list in this WC - bearing in mind Meyer's selections.   I give the following a chance of not completing the full tournament:-
De Villiers   =    70%Dr Preez     =    75%Alberts       =    60%
There are other accident cases just waiting to happen too.   
The reason I say Du Preez  is high is the fact that he missed more than 50% of matches  since 2012 on account of injury and has been out of rugby for 12 months of the last 15 months.  He himself says he is not match-fit.
De Villiers has been injured in or before all WC's bar 2011 and his latest 2 injuries has put himself out of rugby virtually all the time since November 2014 - with the few matches he did play in he was definitely not match-fit.
Alberts despite his low-input performance is always seems to have muscle injury - or rather fat injury problems.
  

Our biggest risk by a mile is Stephanie, he seemingly can't string three matches together. Still he is unlikely to be  a match 23 choice for the matches that count.

 If there is one player that could not string together three matches since 2013 it is Du Preez/  His latest injury was in pre-season training - not even in a match.  And the same applies to Alberts - who had in fact had three matches in the period June 2014 to May 2014.  In the first match he had another injury that caused a two month lay-off - played two matches followed by another injury laying him of for another 3 months and finally the Argentine test where he did squat of note at all.
None of the two are match-fit in any event - which is a major issue as to being injury-prone.   
Meyer is dull enough to select Alberts ahead of Du Toit in any match that count, since he is not only a low-impact player he is useless in most aspects of loosie play and that means absolutely useless - has been for years.   
You apparently has missed out about the number of matches played by Du Preez since 2011 - in total 37 soft club rugby matches in Japan and 7 tests.   That averages 11 matches per year - ie he was laid off because of injury for more than 50% of the time - at the age of 33 and suffering constantly of a lack of match-fitness represents a really serious potential injury problem.