‘Can’t put out the fire’: Cobus Reinach embracing Springboks ‘opportunity’

Throughout last year’s Rugby World Cup, the Springboks made it clear they’re playing for more than just themselves. The 23 players selected in any given Test wore the green jersey with pride as they carried the love, support and admiration of the Rainbow Nation on their shoulders.

With the sun setting over the Brisbane skyline on Wednesday evening, Cheslin Kolbe and Cobus Reinach both spoke with this writer about what it means to play for the Boks. Kolbe mentioned players must be “desperate” to make those “around you proud.”

Reinach, 34, expressed a similar sense of pride in what it means to play for South Africa. The two-time Rugby World Cup-winning halfback has already played 33 Test matches but has been handed another start by Rassie Erasmus to take on the Wallabies.

The experienced scrumhalf, who has played at club level for the Sharks, Northampton Saints and currently Montpellier in France, will start for the second Test in a row after wearing the No. 9 jersey against Portugal last month in Bloemfontein.

But these two starts have followed a bit of an absence from the Springboks’ matchday squads after missing last year’s Rugby World Cup Final triumph over the All Blacks and two enthralling Tests against Andy Farrell’s Ireland last month.

Every athlete wants to have the opportunity to play and compete in their chosen sport, but for Reinach, missing out on those important fixtures isn’t serving as a motivator ahead of two Tests against Australia to start The Rugby Championship.

“Not playing in the Final and not playing the Ireland games, I arrived a bit late from our Top 14 season so I needed to get used to the new way of playing and all of that,” Cobus Reinach told RugbyPass in Brisbane this week.

“Missing them doesn’t ignite the fire in me. The fire is in me even if I played all the games. I want to play – I just want to have the opportunity to show what I’ve got, what God has given me and then make the family proud.

“Playing or not playing, I don’t think the fire can be… you can’t put out the fire.”

Fan favourite Faf de Klerk has, for the most part, been used as the Springboks’ first-choice halfback for quite some time now. The dual World Cup champion will miss these clashes with the Wallabies after being ruled out with an injury.

The Springboks are champions for a reason. This squad had their world-class tested with the sport’s ultimate prize on the line during the showpiece event in France last year, with the likes of Malcolm Marx and Makazole Mapimpi going down.

Rassie Erasmus and the coaching group have given other players ample time and experience to prove themselves already, so if they need to step up in bigger Tests because of injury or other reasons, they’re ready to take that next step.

Reinach isn’t new to the Test arena. With 30+ caps and 65 international points to his name, the halfback is a more than suitable replacement to come into the starting side for de Klerk. The 34-year-old started in the quarter and semi-finals last year before missing the big one.

But this Test against the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium serves as another “opportunity” to showcase exactly what the Springboks’ No. 9 has to offer, so that adds another layer of excitement to a Test week.

“You always see opportunity. Even if Faf is here or whoever the nines are, you always want to train and play in a way that if you get the opportunity that you get selected again,” Reinach explained.

“The good thing about our squad is we don’t just select this guy because he is performing well, we rotate a lot. We choose personnel per game and that’s a tactic of Rassie and them and it’s working because it’s getting everyone experience, it’s giving everyone a chance.

“But when you get your chance, you want to take it with both hands for when the next big opportunity comes or big game or whatever it may be, so you’re ready.”

Reinach will partner Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the halves, while experienced playmaker Handre Pollard will come off the bench. It’s an intriguing selection which has come as a surprise to some, but it’s a decision which could bode well for the future.

The halfback smirked when talking about Feinberg-Mngomezulu and the chance the flyhalf has to take that next step as a Springbok. But the takeaway is Reinach believes the young gun is ready and the Springboks will be there to support him.

South Africa will take on an Australian side who are growing in confidence after some wins over Wales and Georgia on home soil last month. They’re unbeaten in their new era under coach Joe Schmidt and they’ll want to extend that winning streak further on Saturday.

The Springboks haven’t beaten the Wallabies at the Brisbane venue since 2013. Rugby Australia has also confirmed that it’s a sell out with about 50,000 supporters expected – the first time since 2013 against the Lions that a Wallabies Test has sold out in the River City.

“It’s a game of rugby between four lines. It’s gonna come down to how we prepared this whole week, how we get our plan on the field and adapt if our plan is not working.

“How we can adapt on the go and change a little bit here and there or actually saying, ‘keep going, we’re doing well.’

“Playing here in Brisbane with the record or the history or whatever, that doesn’t bother us. That’s been years before and it’s only been four games in 11 years now I think so it sounds like a long time but it’s not that many games.

“We are excited, we are excited to see what we can do – to put our plan on the field and just show up physically.”