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Reinach marks final day as a Saint
By Josh Raisey
Cobus Reinach has marked his final day as a Northampton Saints player before his move to Montpellier ahead of next season.
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The South African leaves Franklin’s Gardens as one of the club’s great players in recent times and a very popular figure amongst fans, and sent a final message on Instagram before his contract expires.
It is strange that a player who did not even complete three full seasons with the Saints is venerated to such an extent, but the 30-year-old’s impact was remarkable despite his relatively short time in the Gallagher Premiership.
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After arriving at the Saints from the Sharks ahead of the 2017/18 season, it was not long before the Springbok became a fan favourite. Few players are faster than the scrum-half, and when found in space, the outcome was often a try. His catalogue of length-of-the-field scores bears witness to his pace.
He finished last season as the Gallagher Premiership’s top try-scorer, and was pivotal in securing a play-off spot at the end of the season.
Reinach’s time in England was also beneficial for his career, as he earned himself a recall to Rassie Erasmus’ South Africa squad in July 2019 after a four-year absence from the Test side. He was a member of the Rugby World Cup winning squad four months later, scoring the tournament’s fastest hat-trick against Canada.
It was announced in January, however, that Reinach would be leaving the Saints to move to the Top 14’s Montpellier for the 2020/21 season.
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He will therefore not be available for the remainder of the Premiership season, set to resume in August, as he will be gearing up for the new French season scheduled for September.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent suspension of rugby, his last game for the Saints was a 16-10 win over Worcester Warriors at Sixways in March.
Reinach leaves the Saints in a good position though, sitting in fourth place in the league and with a Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final clash with Exeter Chiefs in September to look forward to.
