Rugby: Springbok great set to retire after World Cup

Jean De Villiers is set to call it quits after the World Cup. Photo / Getty

Springboks captain Jean de Villiers said on Saturday he'll probably retire from internationals after one more crack at the Rugby World Cup.

The veteran centre said "the reality is" that Saturday's Rugby Championship test against Argentina will be his last in South Africa.

"I can't see myself playing international rugby next year," he said.

The World Cup in England next month might feel like the first for De Villiers, who made his debut in 2002 and has played 106 tests for his country, but has had terrible luck with injuries around the showpiece tournament.

He was ruled out of the 2003 World Cup, got injured in the first game of South Africa's victorious 2007 campaign, and again had his participation cut short in 2011.

The 34-year-old De Villiers also nearly didn't make this one, and is returning this weekend for his first test in eight months after recovering from a serious left knee injury sustained at the end of last year. There was room for a little dark humour from De Villiers in Durban on Friday as he joked he's got the regular injury out of the way in this World Cup season.

"The previous World Cups, obviously I had bad luck because I got injured during it (them)," he said. "This time I got injured beforehand so hopefully I can make it to the World Cup, and hopefully I can stay there."

De Villiers needed surgery to completely reconstruct ligaments in his left knee, and his race to be fit for the World Cup was the subject of huge media interest and even a documentary in South Africa.

He made it, but returns to lead a South African team that has struggled, losing back-to-back tests to Australia and New Zealand in De Villiers' absence to have no chance at the southern hemisphere title.

So, getting through an entire World Cup - and hopefully winning it - forms the sole focus for the remainder of the international career of De Villiers, who is the fourth most capped player ever for the Springboks and considered one of the country's best.

"I've made my comeback. I'm not injured anymore. Enough time has been wasted on that," he said. "It's key for us to get good performances and get some confidence going."

South Africa has two games against Argentina, the second a warm-up game in Buenos Aires, before heading to the World Cup.

- AP