At Stellenbosch Du Plessis was initially more interested in cricket than rugby; he had chosen to go there because of his desire to play in the university cricket team. In 1971 his prowess at cricket earned him selection to the South African Universities cricket side, and then to the Western Province team during that same year. Playing five first-class cricket matches as a right-arm medium pace bowler, he took 16 wickets at an average of 25.62 runs per wicket, and turned in a best performance of 4 wickets for 71 runs. But when Barry Richards, opening batsman of the South African and of the Natal cricket sides, hit Du Plessis for two sixes in the final over before lunch during a Castle Cup match between Western Province and Natal, he decided that perhaps he should rather concentrate on rugby.