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Cape Town - Springbok captain Jean de Villiers has described his recovery process from a serious knee injury as a “miracle”.
De Villiers suffered a horrific knee injury in the Springboks’ final Test against Wales in Cardiff late last year.
He is currently undergoing intensive rehabilitation and is in a race against time to prove his fitness for the Rugby World Cup in England and Wales later this year.
The tournament runs from September 18-October 31.
De Villiers told Netwerk24 recovering from this injury has been the biggest challenge of his rugby career.
“However, the way I’ve recovered these last five months has been nothing short of a miracle. When I was laying there on the Cardiff turf in severe pain, I thought to myself I’d be lucky if I ever walk again.
“But the specialists and medical personnel have performed wonders and they even made use of artificial ligaments to help rebuild my knee.”
De Villiers is targeting a return to the playing field in July.
“The problem is that there won’t be a lot of rugby on the go at that time, because the Currie Cup would not have started and I’ll probably have to make my return in club games.”
The 34-year-old made his Test debut against France in Marseille in 2002 and has since represented the Springboks in 106 Tests.
He became Bok captain in 2012.
