After 34 Tests in a Springbok jersey, veteran scrumhalf Cobus Reinach will start for the first time against the All Blacks in Johannesburg tomorrow afternoon.
The explosive halfback will partner with talented rookie Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at Ellis Park (5pm start), and the duo will be crucial in guiding the Bok attack against their arch-rivals.
It will be the first time the two sides will meet since last year’s Rugby World Cup final, and it’s at a critical stage of the Rugby Championship, with the South Africans coming off back-to-back wins against the Wallabies.
The All Blacks hit a speed-bump in their opener, but set things right against Argentina in the second Test by winning that encounter by a comfortable 42-10 margin to gain momentum ahead of their trip to South Africa.
According to Reinach, it will take a team effort to stop the visitors tomorrow.
“We know how their heads work and their ability to catch you out the moment you switch off for just a bit,” Reinach said.
“They have that ability to score a try from 80m out, when you least expect it.
“We will go out and do our thing as well as we can, and don’t want to give them any soft moments.
“No one can switch off ... You have to be awake and ready for the next thing.
“You almost have to think a couple of steps ahead to see where they want to catch us out, and be ready for that.
Cobus Reinach warned that the #Springboks will have to be switched on for the full 80 minutes on Saturday - more here: https://t.co/zeuSj3xHfb 🔛#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/Fa2VazNPjH
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 29, 2024
“Too many times we’ve seen how the All Blacks caught a ball in their 22m area and they take a quick tap and run 80m to score, and then we lose the Test.
“So, we must be aware of all those things and be ready for everything that comes.”
Reinach said they can’t focus on one or two players because each New Zealand rugby player brings something unique to the side.
But he said that the Boks did their homework on their rivals, and know what they can do and what makes them such special players.
As one of the experienced figures in the backline, Reinach will have a few special players on his outside, including Feinberg-Mngomezulu and fullback Aphelele Fassi, who can spark things on the attack.
His combination with Feinberg-Mngomezulu will come under pressure tomorrow from All Black halfbacks TJ Perenara and Damian McKenzie , but the duo have shown what they are capable of.
“Sacha has rugby in his blood,” Reinach said.
“He has the confidence to do it and has the whole team behind him, supporting him. We all back him...”
“I think there was a video of him at 13 years old giving a thank-you speech. He is already then speaking in front of people, and there is not a problem with confidence in the lad. And that’s the way he goes out on the field – he just wants to express himself.
“He has the confidence to do it and has the whole team behind him, supporting him. We all back him, and we don’t care if a mistake happens – we are a team. We help each other, try to fix it and move onto the next job.
“There is complete faith in everyone to just go out there and do their job. I back him to do his job and he backs me to do my job.”