Cobus Reinach will have a proper Test of his fitness when he starts against Wales in Durban, after he returned from injury with a 14-minute cameo against England.
Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach. Picture: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
Experienced Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach is having to adapt his game late in his career and he will be aiming to show he is back at full strength when he starts for the Boks in their Nations Championship clash against Wales in Durban on Saturday.
Reinach has battled a couple of injuries this year, which limited him to just six appearances for the Stormers over the second half of the franchise season, and he made his comeback with a 14-minute cameo for the Boks against England at the start of the month.
The 36-year-old is well known for his blistering pace, which he has used regularly to rack up 19 tries in 51 appearances for the Boks, and with him on the verge of 100 Test points, he may need to find a different way to get over the line now.
“My groin problem was coming for a year or two (and needed surgery), then I hurt my knee against Glasgow (in the URC), which was most unfortunate,” explained Reinach.
“But it all comes down to international rugby, you try to get ready and be available to get picked. So if you get the opportunity you want to do a job. The injuries are behind me, and now it is time to play.
“After this year, it (pace) is something I need to work on now. Not because of my age, but because of my groin operations and all of that.
“It takes a while for everything to settle and for me to feel comfortable putting a lot of force into the ground. But yeah, I’m feeling comfortable at the moment, and now it’s time to build on that. Getting back into it.”
Not leaning on past performances
The Springboks have picked up big wins in their last four games over the past three years against Wales, and another convincing result should be on the cards this weekend.
In 2023 in Cardiff the Boks picked up a 52-16 win, in 2024 they beat them in London (41-13) and Cardiff (45-12), while last year in Cardiff two weakened teams battled it out, with the Boks clinching a thumping 73-0 win.
But Reinach said the national team were not focused on any of those results, and that it was a completely new game in a new season, they had new goals to achieve, and if they were not switched on they could be shocked.
“We do not talk about what we have done before. We focus on what we need to do now to get better as a squad. There are always work-ons,” said Reinach.
“What has happened can change in a blink of an eye. If we don’t pitch up on Saturday, it is not going to just happen, and they will turn us over if we are not switched on.
“We know we have to be 100 percent on our game, every game. It does not matter who you play and where you play them. It is all about us, our standards, and what we want to put on the field in front of our supporters.”
