Paul de Villiers willing to do whatever is necessary to stay in Springbok picture

De Villiers, who stood in as Stormers captain for the injured Ruhan Nel in recent United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup matches, has had a strong start to his international career and is being talked about as a future Springbok leader.

"It was a big privilege captaining the Stormers, standing in for Ruhan Nel, just awesome to be there and have other leaders to back me up," he said.

The 23-year-old loose forward, who has rapidly established himself as a breakdown specialist in the Springbok setup, made clear where his immediate priorities lie.

"For the moment, I'm playing for the Springboks, and that's a massive privilege. It's about staying in this group, keeping my head down, staying humble and getting a chance to play," he said.

"We'll see what the future holds, but you must be part of the group to even get that opportunity. So the focus is to try to stay here and play good rugby."

De Villiers scored from a rolling maul against Italy on Saturday after coming off the bench in the second half as the world champions ran in nine tries.

He emphasised the collective culture within the Springbok camp, where competition for places is intense and every player understands the need to elevate those around them.

"I'll contribute wherever I must. We push each other a lot, whether we're playing, not playing or on the bench. We pick each other up and push each other to get better for what's needed on the weekend," he said.

"All of us bring something different, and I think the coaches look at that when they select the team, based on what they need on the field.

"You must be able to take your opportunity and give it your best. Sometimes even the best players don't play, because there's someone else they need for the job.

"So just be ready, be available and give your all."

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