VIDEO: Reinach talks about the Perenara threat
VIDEO: Springbok Cobus Reinach is very aware of the threat his direct opponent, TJ Perenara will pose but the Bok scrumhalf says it will be a mistake to focus on individuals when they face the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Perenara is the greatest try-scorer in Super Rugby history and an extraordinary scavenger of the ball.
Reinach warns the All Blacks are brimming with players who have X-factor, and he explained what attributes the Kiwi scrumhalf poses compared to Aaron Smith.
“TJ is a bigger, stronger lad [compared to Smith] who likes confrontation,” the 34-year-old Reinach told a media briefing on Wednesday.
“He is a bit more of a running nine.
“I don’t think their game has changed too much in terms of what they want to do.
“They have X-factor everywhere so now they just have another one at No. 9 trying to break you and go around the fringes.
“It’s a different threat you have to be aware of but I mean, when Aaron passed to whoever played ten – Beaudi [Beauden Barrett] or Mo’unga [Richie] or now [Damian] McKenzie, he is X-factor, Jordie [Barrett] is X-factor.
“Then you get Beauden at fullback and their wings – they don’t have to change the way they play, they just have great players everywhere,” Reinach shared.
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A little over a decade ago Reinach made his Springbok debut and on Saturday he will earn his 35th cap.
He joins forces with flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, with the pair bearing the big responsibility of dictating play against the New Zealand duo of Perenara and McKenzie.
Talking about the young flyhalf and his relatively quick ascension in the Bok team to a starting berth, Reinach explained that he would not be needed to guide Feinberg-Mngomezulu on the day.
“Sacha has got rugby in his blood.
“There isn’t a lack of confidence in the lad and you can see it in the way he goes out on the field.
“He just wants to play and he’s got the confidence to do it.
“And now he’s got the whole squad behind him, supporting him and knowing that we are all backing him and we don’t care if a mistake happens, we will fix it.
“One man doesn’t make a team but if we all go together and fix where someone went wrong it’s going to be tough to beat.
“There is no guiding him.
“There is no pressure. We are all going to go out there and do our job.
“I back him to do his job and he backs me to do my job.
“Once we start looking at guiding and helping other guys out, you forget about your own job and that’s the most important.
“That’s why he gets picked,” the scrumhalf concluded.
