Springboks scrum-half Cobus Reinach described claiming his 50th cap for his country as ‘unreal’ after the team brought down the curtain on a special 2025 in style.
Reinach came off the bench to mark his milestone game as South Africa cruised to an impressive 73-0 victory over Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.
That secured an unbeaten Autumn Nations Series for the Springboks, which followed the team retaining the Rugby Championship title in a year that they made a statement.
Special moment
Speaking after his landmark outing in the Green and Gold jersey, Reinach was beaming with pride and reflected on his overriding emotions after reaching the half-century.
“It’s always special just to put on the Springbok jersey,” he said.
“If it’s cap one or cap 140 odd like Eben (Etzebeth), it’s special. But playing my 50th Test was definitely great.
“It’s every boy’s dream to play for the Springboks and having done that 50 times is unreal. It’s a privilege and something I’ll always be thankful for.”
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The 11-try success over the Welsh put the seal on an outstanding autumn that saw the Springboks overcome Japan, France, Italy and Ireland prior to that emphatic Cardiff win.
“For us, it wasn’t just about the end-of-the-year tour. It was about the whole season,” Reinach stressed.
“We learned and adapted more than previously, and I think we grew immensely as a team. Even though we had a few setbacks, we probably learned more from those games than winning or delivering a good performance. So, if you take the whole season plus the November tour, it was amazing.”
The scrum-half added that his side continues to learn under head coach Rassie Erasmus and believes that there’s more to come from the Springboks in the coming years.
“The guys are learning and working hard, and hopefully that’s one thing we’ll never lose. The way we work for each other and how tight knit we are as a group is special,” he said.
More in the tank
“The way we are here (in the team) and how competitive everyone is in each position pushes you to be stronger and better every day. So, if we can keep on with that, I think there’s a lot more in the tank.”
Reinach said on their team ethos and how that helps to build success: “It’s thanks to everyone – the management do their thing, and how the players buy in contribute to it.
“If we hit highs or lows, it doesn’t really matter, because the players and management pick you up. The closeness of the group and how we want to work for each other, and everyone back home makes it a privilege to be here, and everyone understands that.”