‘I feel 21,’ says Boks’ habitual hat trick hero Cobus Reinach

He may have scored a hat trick in the Springboks’ 76-0 win over Romania in a Rugby World Cup match in Bordeaux on Sunday, but electric scrumhalf Cobus Reinach believes he has work to do to become an even better player.

Reinach and Makazole Mapimpi each scored three tries in the 12-try romp of The Oaks in a Pool B game, the win giving the defending champions plenty of momentum ahead of their next assignment, a clash with top-ranked Ireland in Paris this Saturday.

Reinach is one of four scrumhalves in the Boks’ World Cup squad and during his international career he’s often gone under the radar because of the competition in the team.

‘I feel 21’

However, whenever he plays he amazes with his game management, alertness and pace, and eye for the gap. The hat trick on Sunday was Reinach’s second at a World Cup, the other coming in 2019 in Japan against Canada.

At the age of 33, Reinach is nearing the back end of his career but he said after the big win in Bordeaux he still feels 21 and is still looking to improve his game.

“I don’t think I’ve changed much (over the years) except that I’ve got a bit more experience now,” said Reinach.

“I feel 21 in the legs and 21 in the head, so I just want to keep on going and keep on playing as best as I can.”

Platform for backs

Reflecting on his and the Boks’ performance against Romania, Reinach said most boxes got right ticks behind them.

“We came in with the goal to be dominant in all aspects and I think that’s what the forwards did, they gave us a good platform to play off and I was lucky enough to score off those platforms,” said the scrumhalf after the match.

Next up for the Springboks is a titanic clash against Pool B rivals Ireland in Paris. The match will in all probability decide who finishes first and second in the pool between the Boks and Ireland.

Reinach said all the focus now would be on preparing as best as they could for the match.

“It’s a six-day turnaround before the next match,” he said.

“We don’t change how we prepare for games, whether we’re up against Romania or Ireland or New Zealand, we have to go and look at what we did wrong and where we can improve.

“We’ll hit the training ground running, focus on how we can get better and then take it to the pitch on game day,” said the 2019 Rugby World Cup winner.

The match on Sunday in Paris kicks off at 9pm.