De Villiers likely to stay in South Africa

SPRINGBOK CENTRE Jean de Villiers appears to be reconsidering a move to Europe after the Lions tour this summer.

The captain of South African side Stormers, who was strongly linked with a move to Munster, has indicated through his agent, Stan Matthews, that he is “leaning towards” staying in South Africa.

De Villiers would have been seen as a strong replacement for the Munster centre Rua Tipoki, who was forced into retirement this season because of a recurring hamstring injury. De Villiers has 46 Springbok caps and his contract expires at the end of the year.

Speaking to yesterday’s Cape Times, Matthews acknowledged that de Villiers had been seriously considering leaving but said that the player had reassessed his position at home and was now hoping to become the next Springbok captain. John Smit is the team captain for the Lions Tests.

De Villiers’ change of heart comes as Paul O’Connell leads Munster for their final game of the season in the Magners League.

The squad for their closing game against Ospreys on Friday night in Thomond Park includes four of O’Connell’s Lions’ colleagues, Ronan O’Gara, Keith Earls, David Wallace and Donncha O’Callaghan.

All five players are due to depart for London on Monday morning to join up with the rest of the Lions touring party.

The match will mark the final appearances of some of Munster’s longest serving players, Anthony Horgan and Frank Sheahan as well as being the last showing for Mike Prendergast, Kieran Lewis, Federico Pucciariello, John O’Sullivan and Michael Essex. Following the home match, Munster will be presented with this season’s Magners League trophy.

Meanwhile, the prospect of two brothers playing together on the Leinster team was advanced yesterday when centre and fullback David Kearney was named along side his older sibling, Rob, for Leinster’s final game of the season against Dragons in Rodney Parade on Saturday.

It is Rob’s first game back since he was sidelined with mumps several weeks ago and was reduced to a water carrier for Leinster’s Heineken Cup semi-final with Munster in Croke Park.

The older Kearney is included with a large batch of aspiring international players as Leinster rest key names before the European final in Murrayfield in 10 days time. Girvan Dempsey and Trevor Hogan complete the international cast along with senior players Seán O’Brien, Stephen Keogh and Devin Toner. Paul O’Donohoe is also named in the 24-man squad.

The under-20 Grand Slam winning scrumhalf is one of nine Leinster Academy members included in the provisional panel.

Matt Williams has included Lions squad member Stephen Ferris for Ulster’s last game of the season. The flanker is part of a 25-man squad, which will be reduced to 22 for the Parc y Scarlets meeting on Saturday.

Glasgow Warriors centre Max Evans will be out for approximately four to six months following a knee injury sustained against Ospreys last Saturday.

MUNSTER SQUAD:D Howlett; B Murphy; K Earls; I Dowling; L Mafi; K Lewis; A Horgan; P Warwick; R O'Gara; P Stringer; M Prendergast; F Pucciariello; Dave Ryan; D Fogarty; M Essex; F Sheahan; T Buckley; M O'Driscoll; J O'Sullivan; D O'Callaghan; P O'Connell; Donnacha Ryan; D Wallace; N Ronan; D Leamy.

LEINSTER:(Forwards) – R McCormack, B Blaney, J Fogarty, J Harris-Wright, J Hagan, S Knoop, T Hogan, D Toner, C Jowitt, K McLaughlin, P Ryan, S O'Brien, S Keogh. (Backs) – C Keane, P O'Donohoe, I Madigan, I McKinley, R Kearney, F McFadden, K Tonetti, S Keogh, N Morris, D Kearney, G Dempsey.

ULSTER:(Forwards) – R Best, B Botha, N Brady, R Caldwell, R Diack, N Hanna, C Del Fava, W Faloon, D Fitzpatrick, J Fitzpatrick, S Ferris, C Henry, M McCullough, E O'Donoghue, B Young. (Backs) – I Boss, D Cave, S Danielli, I Humphreys, M McCrea, T Nagusa, N O'Connor, C Schifcofske, I Whitten, C Willis.