Cobus Reinach’s eloquent response to fulfilling Springboks dreams as he insists ‘there is one more World Cup’
Cobus Reinach believes that he has another World Cup left in him and reveals how he has managed to retain his rapid pace.
Springboks scrum-half Cobus Reinach believes that he has another World Cup left in him and reveals how he has managed to retain his rapid pace.
Reinach earned his Test debut for the Springboks all the way back in 2014 and hopes to extend his international career through to the 2027 World Cup where he hopes to earn his third tournament appearance after missing out on 2015.
The veteran nine is set to earn his fourth cap against the All Blacks at Ellis Park in round three of the Rugby Championship in what will be his first start against the old foe.
At the age of 34, Reinach is in the twilight of his career but the Springbok has remarkably kept much of his rapid pace which will serve him well in his pursuit of featuring in a third tournament.
In 2015, Reinach was overlooked by former head coach Heyeneke Meyer for the World Cup squad with an ACL injury robbing him of the opportunity to fight his way back into the side the following year.
‘I never gave up on being a Springbok’
That is when the number nine opted to take a deal with Northampton Saints, which effectively ruled him out of Bok selection due to SA Rugby’s eligibility criteria at the time which Reinach fell short of.
“It was tough in 2015 when I didn’t make it. It’s every player’s dream to make a World Cup and the year after it just felt like I needed a change,” Reinach said ahead of the clash at Ellis Park.
“So I made the decision to see the world a bit and play in a different culture and at that stage, I never gave up on being a Springbok again.
“Never gave up on the hope of going to the next World Cup, even though it didn’t look very bright because of the cap rule that came in at that time.
“But I was still supporting them and sitting in the pubs every time they played, supporting as much as I could, and following them because I still wanted to be there.
“Luckily enough, Rassie came in and the rules changed and Northampton were good to me and I played well enough for them to earn a selection.”
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Targetting another Rugby World Cup
Bok head coach Rassie Erasmus has been rather loyal with his selection over the years with few players really being dropped from the squad entirely after impressing.
Reinach reinforced that point knows what is required of him if he hopes to extend his career to Australia 2027.
“Once you get in the squad with Rassie and you do your part by giving your all and you are the kind of squad player that he needs – like you see now with all the rotations in the lineup – you are going to stay there and be there for as long as you keep on doing it,” he added.
“Luckily I have been here long enough to play two World Cups and win them but it’s not over yet, there is one more left for me I think.”
Blessed with blistering pace, Reinach believes his speed is all in the genes with his father Jaco Reinach being a former South African sprinter and Springboks winger.
“I just don’t like to be tackled, I try to get away from them,” Reinach joked when asked how he has retained his speed.
“No, I think I’m lucky with my dad being fast and it being in my blood but it is something that I work hard at and if you neglect it, it will go away quickly.
“And if you do neglect it, it takes a long time to build up again, it is something that we constantly working on.”
Leaving a legacy
Finally, Reinach is another addition to the longlist of gifted scrum-halves who have donned the Springboks number nine jersey and he aims to add to that legacy before hanging up his boots.
“There have been unbelievable players like Joost [van der Westhuizen] and Fourie [du Preez], when you put that jersey on you do want to make it your own and express yourself on the field and do the things that you are good at,” he said.
“But the only thing I try to think about is wanting to leave it in a better place or add another little tick on it that someone else also thinks ‘I have to add more’ so that the jersey grows with you in it and once you are gone.”
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