Lions scrumhalf Morne van den Berg says he’s eager to test himself against Springbok teammate Cobus Reinach at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
Reinach and red-hot flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu are central to the Stormers’ attack, which scored six tries in a 42-21 win against La Rochelle last weekend. It extended the Cape franchise’s unbeaten start to the season to eight matches in all competitions.
The Lions, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back from two defeats in the Investec Champions Cup and rediscover the form that saw them beat the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus last time out in the URC.
“This is a massive match for the Lions,” Van den Berg said on Tuesday. “I know I will be facing Cobus, but all I’m thinking about is how I can help the team win. I’m not thinking about the Boks, my focus is fully on this weekend’s match.”
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Van den Berg spoke highly about Reinach, who has been in outstanding form.
“I have a lot of respect for Cobus. He’s been amazing over the past two years. This weekend I’m going there to compete and to give it my all against him.”
The Lions No 9 admitted he has learned plenty from watching Reinach closely.
“It’s a lot of little things, how he prepares in the week, how he sees the game, when to do something, when not to do something,” Van den Berg explained. “Those small things get you big results.”
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Despite the personal battle, he emphasised the bigger picture.
“The team definitely comes first,” he said. “But if you want to test yourself, you want to play against the best. That’s what excites me.”
Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s form has also been a major talking point, with the Stormers flyhalf this week ranked the world’s top player for 2025 by RugbyPass.
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“Yes, Sacha is unbelievable, but at the end of the day, there are 15 men on the field,” said Van den Berg. “We will have a plan or two [to counter him] but this week is not just about how to stop Sacha.
“We know they are strong, but we’re going there to force our game plan on them. We’re not going there to adapt to how they play.”
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Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
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