shift at a Bloemfontein hospital on the evening of 30 September, during which he performed a Caesarean section. When interviewed after his selection, he said that his first sleep since 29 September was "an hour or so on the plane from Bloemfontein to Cape Town", where he travelled to do his required paperwork before joining the Boks in France. On 7 October, he was starting for the Boks in their quarterfinal against Fiji, after CJ van der Linde was ruled out with a knee injury. A week after the Boks' victory over England in the Rugby World Cup final, Du Plessis was in the squad for another final – the 2007 Currie Cup final, in which the Cheetahs defeated the Golden Lions 20–18. Because of his late call-up to the World Cup squad, he was the only member of the World Cup winners to play in enough Currie Cup matches to qualify for the final (at least four are required). Du Plessis joined three members of the 1995 Rugby World Cup winners as the only players to earn World Cup and Currie Cup winners' medals in the same year. Du Plessis had to use his medical skills unexpectedly in 2009. In the early morning hours of 29 March, Brumbies lock Shawn Mackay was hit by a car outside a Durban nightclub, suffering a paralysing injury. Du Plessis was at the scene because he was helping Brumbies players get back to their hotel after their match with the Sharks; he helped Mackay breathe and contacted emergency services, who stabilised him and rushed him to a hospital. However, Mackay died from complications of his injuries several days later. Notes References External links Jannie du Plessis at Genslin Springbok stats 1982 births Living people People from Bethlehem, Free State Afrikaner people South African expatriates in France Expatriate rugby union players in France 21st-century South African physicians South African rugby union players South Africa international rugby union players Cheetahs (rugby union) players Free State Cheetahs players Rugby union props Alumni of Grey College, Bloemfontein Sharks (Currie Cup) players Sharks (rugby union) players Montpellier Hérault Rugby players Lions (United Rugby Championship) players Golden Lions players Rugby union players from the Free State (province)