Cobus Reinach starts at scrumhalf against Wales on Saturday in the Nations Championship Round Three clash at Kings Park Stadium, ending a lengthy absence from Test rugby following a knee injury sustained during the Stormers' URC win over Glasgow Warriors in April.
The 36-year-old came off the bench against England in Round One at Ellis Park but gets the nod from the outset this week, with Herschel Jantjies returning to provide bench cover. Before the injury, Reinach had established himself as first-choice scrumhalf with six Test starts last season. Grant Williams and Embrose Papier — who started against Scotland last weekend — covered during his absence.
Reinach enters the match within striking distance of a notable personal milestone: one try away from 20 in a Springbok jersey, which would bring him to 100 Test points.
Speaking in Durban, Reinach was candid about managing his body at this stage of his career, linking his focus on pace to the physical toll of multiple surgeries rather than age. "Not because of my age, but because of my groin operations and all of that — it takes a while for everything to settle and for me to feel comfortable putting a lot of force into the ground," he said.
On the tactical front, Reinach flagged the kicking game as an area the Springboks want to sharpen after last weekend's win over Scotland, noting that the opposition's ball-retention style limited opportunities to execute it consistently.
South Africa go into the Wales fixture unbeaten in the Nations Championship following victories over England and Scotland.