Reinach ready to make up for lost time against Wales
SPOTLIGHT: At 36, talk of slowing down is not the vocabulary of Cobus Reinach.
Instead, the experienced Springbok scrumhalf is even more eager for the job as he prepares to return to the starting XV against Wales this Saturday in the Nations Championship Round Three clash at Kings Park Stadium.
Reinach, who came off the bench against England in Round One at Ellis Park, will start at scrumhalf.
The scrumhalf spent a lengthy spell on the sidelines following a knee injury he sustained during the Stormers’ United Rugby Championship win over the Glasgow Warriors in April.
Before that setback, Reinach had established himself as South Africa’s first-choice scrumhalf, starting six Tests last season.
During his absence, Sharks scrumhalf Grant Williams has been at the top of the pecking order, while Embrose Papier started against Scotland last weekend.
This weekend, Herschel Jantjies also return to the international arena and will provide cover from the bench against Wales.
Reinach admitted the setback was frustrating but said his focus has always been on returning to international rugby.
“I had to do my joints – that was coming for a year or two. Then I hurt my knee against Glasgow, which is unfortunate,” Reinach told reporters in Durban.
“However, it all comes down to international rugby. You try to be ready; you try to be available to get picked. If you get the opportunity, you want to do a job.
“All of that is behind me, and now it’s time to try and do a job.”
Reinach is known for his incredible pace, and this weekend he could hit the milestone of 100 points (20 tries) in a Springbok jersey if he crosses the line.
The son of former Springbok Jaco Reinach acknowledged that staying at the highest level requires more work as he gets older, particularly after multiple injuries.
“After this year, it [pace] is something I need to work on now,” he admitted.
“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.”
Although the scrumhalf was not part of last weekend’s win against Scotland, he noted that the Springboks’ kicking game is a component they would like to improve and will use more this weekend against Wales.
“We have a big kicking game.
“We try to attack through there, and sometimes we win the balls back, and sometimes we don’t. Then that week, you go and look at the video and realise what you need to work on.
“I think Scotland probably could have kicked more, but they’re a team that, when they get the ball, they hold onto it for a long time.
“You don’t always get the opportunity to get to the kick, but we adapted and found a way.”
The Springboks are currently unbeaten in the inaugural Nations Championship after wins over England and Scotland. This weekend, they will be out to keep that record intact when they face Steve Tandy’s men in the Round Three fixture.
