Springbok scrumhalves Morne van den Berg of the Lions and Cobus Reinach of the Stormers go head-to-head in a URC derby on Saturday.
Lions scrumhalf Morne van den Berg is relishing the challenge of taking on his fellow Springbok halfback Cobus Reinach when they collide with the Stormers in their United Rugby Championship (URC) derby at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Over the past two seasons 28-year-old Van den Berg has been in the Bok setup with Reinach, but he has not featured as much as the 35-year-old veteran, particularly this season when the new Stormers recruit was essentially the first-choice pick for the national team.
However, Van den Berg was quick to explain that the game this weekend was all about the team and making sure the Lions came out on top, and that any battle between the two scrummies was secondary to that.
Focusing on team victory
“I have a lot of respect for Cobus. He’s been amazing over the past two years. This weekend I’m going there to compete and to give it my all against him,” said Van den Berg.
“The team definitely comes first. But if you want to test yourself, you want to play against the best. That’s what excites me. I won’t just zone in on him. This is a team sport and a big game for the Lions and Stormers.
“My focus will be on doing something that could help us win. I also can’t think too much about Springbok things for next year. This weekend will need all of my attention.”
Van den Berg also said that he had learnt plenty from Reinach over the past two years with the Boks and that he would continue to do so whether playing with or against him in the future.
“It’s a lot of little things, how he prepares in the week, how he sees the game, when to do something, when not to do something. Those small things get you big results,” explained Van Den Berg.
Sacha FM threat
Another Springbok star, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, has been making massive waves this year, and he is expected to be a major challenge for the Lions on Saturday, but Van den Berg again cautioned about focusing on individual players.
“Yes, Sacha is unbelievable, but at the end of the day, there are 15 men on the field. We will have a plan or two (to deal with him) but this week is not just about how to stop Sacha,” said Van den Berg.
“It is an exciting prospect playing in these local derbies and facing South Africa’s best. We know they (the Stormers) are strong, but we’re going there to force our game plan on them. We’re not going there to adapt to how they play.”
The Lions head into the clash off the back of two Challenge Cup defeats, while the unbeaten in-form Stormers won both their Champions Cup games over the last two weeks.
