Profile: Paul Janse van Vuuren

Cradock are optimistic that inspirational captain Paul Janse van Vuuren will recover from flu in time to lead out the side against Gill College on Thursday.

Van Vuuren has battled bouts of flu in recent weeks and looked to be back at 100 per cent when he played last weekend only to fall ill again earlier this week.

He concedes that it’s touch-and-go whether he leads out the hosts on Women’s Day.   

“I’m seeing the doctor first thing on Thursday. If he rules me out I will accept it, but I’m hoping for the best,” he says.  

Playing at inside centre, Van Vuuren is a hard-running midfielder who gets his team over the advantage line with regularity, a quality that saw him play Academy Week for Eastern Province in successive seasons.

“Playing Academy Week was a wonderful experience. It gives you a new perspective on rugby and the quality and diversity of players in the country,” he says.

Van Vuuren is wary of Gill’s strengths, saying “Gill have an unbelievable team spirit. They are a close group who play for one another and that makes them dangerous.”

He believes the difference between the two teams will come down to defence. “I think the teams are evenly matched on attack so defence will be key. Our strength lies in the pack so our forwards will look to dominate up front and we will look to retain possession,” he says.

Van Vuuren concludes: "Win or lose, when they walk off the field they will know they played against CHS."

Should Van Vuuren be a last-minute withdrawal, the captaincy will fall to either vice-captain Akhona Nteta or eighthman Hannes Labuschagne.