Stormers' coach John Dobson is buzzing about Cobus Reinach’s addition to the team, vehemently dismissing any whispers of the seasoned scrumhalf merely coasting towards retirement in Cape Town. Set to jazz up the field this Saturday against Benetton in Treviso, Reinach is ready to ignite the Stormers’ ambitions right off the bench, following a brief hiatus post-Rugby Championship.
Despite his ripe age of 35, Reinach, with his rich tapestry of top-flight rugby experience, including a recent standout performance for the Springboks, is far from hanging up his boots. “
‘He’s a character, he’s a professional and he’s been fully engaged since before joining us. He’s not here just to mentor the younger guys. He’s still a top-class player and a proper athlete. He was Man of the Match in the Boks’ last game – that tells you the level he’s at. He wants to play for a few more years, he wants to win trophies and he’s come in really excited.’”
Dobson shared, clearly smitten with his new recruit.
With an unbeaten streak on the line and their sights set on a first win in Treviso, the Stormers are not just playing games. Captain Ruhan Nel can barely contain his excitement about Reinach’s energy and eagerness to integrate. “
‘He’s so energetic and keen to get involved. Scrumhalves are a special breed – and he brings so much energy and experience.’”
Nel commented on the palpable buzz Reinach brings to the squad.
Dobson has strategically shuffled his lineup, making eight changes for this pivotal clash, resting star flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and promoting Jurie Matthee to start as flyhalf. “There was temptation to move Damian [Willemse] to 10,” Dobson noted, “but asking him to play 15, then 12, then 10 in three weeks didn’t make sense. He’s a 12/15 at international level, and Jurie’s growth has been really encouraging, so it was a natural call to back him.”
With the captaincy, Dobson explained his decision to keep Nel at the helm despite Salmaan Moerat’s return. “This was always planned as a block of five games, and it didn’t make sense to change the captain when things are going well. Salmaan will lead us again at some stage, but Ruhan deserves to finish this block.”
This Saturday’s lineup sees Matthee stepping up in a crucial playmaker role, with Nel and the team backing him to shine. The stage is set for an exhilarating match as the Stormers aim to extend their winning streak and showcase their reinforced squad dynamics with Reinach in the mix.
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Stormers' coach John Dobson is buzzing about Cobus Reinach’s addition to the team, vehemently dismissing any whispers of the seasoned scrumhalf merely coasting towards retirement in Cape Town. Set to jazz up the field this Saturday against Benetton in Treviso, Reinach is ready to ignite the Stormers’ ambitions right off the bench, following a brief hiatus post-Rugby Championship.
Despite his ripe age of 35, Reinach, with his rich tapestry of top-flight rugby experience, including a recent standout performance for the Springboks, is far from hanging up his boots. “
‘He’s a character, he’s a professional and he’s been fully engaged since before joining us. He’s not here just to mentor the younger guys. He’s still a top-class player and a proper athlete. He was Man of the Match in the Boks’ last game – that tells you the level he’s at. He wants to play for a few more years, he wants to win trophies and he’s come in really excited.’”
Dobson shared, clearly smitten with his new recruit.With an unbeaten streak on the line and their sights set on a first win in Treviso, the Stormers are not just playing games. Captain Ruhan Nel can barely contain his excitement about Reinach’s energy and eagerness to integrate. “
‘He’s so energetic and keen to get involved. Scrumhalves are a special breed – and he brings so much energy and experience.’”
Nel commented on the palpable buzz Reinach brings to the squad.Dobson has strategically shuffled his lineup, making eight changes for this pivotal clash, resting star flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and promoting Jurie Matthee to start as flyhalf. “There was temptation to move Damian [Willemse] to 10,” Dobson noted, “but asking him to play 15, then 12, then 10 in three weeks didn’t make sense. He’s a 12/15 at international level, and Jurie’s growth has been really encouraging, so it was a natural call to back him.”
With the captaincy, Dobson explained his decision to keep Nel at the helm despite Salmaan Moerat’s return. “This was always planned as a block of five games, and it didn’t make sense to change the captain when things are going well. Salmaan will lead us again at some stage, but Ruhan deserves to finish this block.”
This Saturday’s lineup sees Matthee stepping up in a crucial playmaker role, with Nel and the team backing him to shine. The stage is set for an exhilarating match as the Stormers aim to extend their winning streak and showcase their reinforced squad dynamics with Reinach in the mix.