Juan Smith

Springbok captain Jean de Villiers has praised the move to bring veteran flank Juan Smith back into the Springbok squad for the Rugby Championship, calling it an ‘unbelievable’ story.

It was reported that Smith – who was told by more than one doctor that his rugby career was over – was included as cover for the injured Victor Matfield in the Bok squad this week ahead of next weekend’s opener against Argentina at Loftus Versfeld.

After getting a second chance at Toulon, Smith turned the opportunity into gold with the way he used his new lease on life to craft his way into the Toulon squad and was an integral part in their success in Europe this year.

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And now that he has been given another lifeline at the Boks – after playing a massive part in their Rugby World Cup win in 2007, Smith is keen to take it with both hands.

De Villiers is just as excited to see him back.

“What a story,” the Bok captain said.

“I remember him handing over the jerseys last year in Nelspruit.”

“You could just see the determination in his mind.”

“He felt at that stage he still had a lot to give and it was still unfinished business for him, even though a lot of people wrote him off and said he would never play again.”

“To see the rugby he was playing at Toulon and to have him back in the squad is just unbelievable.”

“He is a great player, a great person as well and a great story to tell.”

Smith comes in to cover flank and lock in Matfield’s absence and while some eyebrows may be raised with his return, the 69 Test veteran will tick many of the boxes that coach Heyneke Meyer wants him to while also adding a wealth of experience to the squad.

Earlier Meyer said Smith will be ideal cover for the squad at the moment.

“Our need at this stage is to draft in a player who can cover lock and loose forward, and we feel Juan is the right man for the job,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.

“He has played lock before in his career and won an Under 21 World Cup in that position, but he also covers flank and No 8.

“I spoke to him on various occasions and he’s comfortable with playing in the second row again if the need arises.”

“However, as a number of our loose forwards have had a very high work load this season, it’s good to have someone such as Juan who can also provide cover in those positions.”

“Furthermore he is a brilliant exponent in the lineouts and will bring experience and leadership to the squad.”

“We wanted to involve him in June as I really want to work with him, but he was not 100% fit and asked not to be considered.”

“Juan has been in sublime form and recently won the very tough French Top 14 league and the Heineken Cup with Toulon.”

“I’ve always held him in very high esteem and I know he will add value to our squad.”

With the 2015 Rugby World Cup looming large, the Springboks are eager for a victory over the All Blacks, a feat that has escaped them over the last two years.

Jean de Villiers also added that a Kiwi scalp would be a major confidence boost ahead of the showpiece in England.

“It still is a one game at a time approach and our focus is on Argentina,” De Villiers said at a five-day training camp.

“But for us as a team, to go forward, it is important to beat the All Blacks. We haven’t done so in the last two years and that is one of our goals.”

“We want to be the best team in the world and we want to get back to No 1 and to do that we need to beat them.”

The Springboks kick off their 2014 Rugby Championship against Argentina in Pretoria next Saturday.

While the Springboks boasted a near perfect 83 percent winning record in 2013, the two defeats against the All Blacks were the only blemish.

The Boks have been unable to beat their arch-rivals since their 18-5 victory at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth in 2011.

Although the question of an All Black victory remains a nagging one, De Villiers said the side would not make it the be-all and end-all.

“I don’t think the focus is just on them, the Wallaby team will be very competitive this year as well,” De Villiers said.

“We can’t just focus on one team and when you beat them think you’ve made it, but it is one of the boxes we haven’t ticked in the last two years. We want to be able to tick that box and go into next year confident.”

This year had so far been defined by comebacks of players, whose careers seemed to belong to the annals of South African rugby history.

Victor Matfield first dusted off his boots after a two-year retirement to become the oldest active Springbok player at age 37.

Schalk Burger also made a miraculous return to the green and gold in June after he was struck down by bacterial meningitis and sidelined for two years.

Speaking of his own injury woes, De Villiers was confident that he would lead the team out against Argentina despite concern over a knee injury.

“I’ve been running for the last couple of weeks and since starting training this week it has improved a lot,” he said.

“It is looking much better than I initially thought and at this stage it is looking good for next week.”

“If I’m fit and if the knee is ready to go whether it is Currie Cup, Super Rugby or Test match, from a fitness point of view I am good.”