Not too long ago, the shortage of world-class scrumhalves was a big problem in South Africa.
After ex-coach Allister Coetzee toyed with the idea of giving Lions No.9 Ross Cronje a permanent spot in the Green and Gold in 2017, it was the recall of Faf de Klerk in 2018 by now-boss Rassie Erasmus that gave Bok fans hope.
De Klerk was on fire when he returned after more than a year in the international wilderness.
Problem was, he needed back-up and Erasmus gave Embrose Papier and Ivan van Zyl their turn to step up, but they largely disappointed.
And then out of nowhere, Herschel Jantjies set SA rugby alight this year, scoring tries almost at will after getting his first taste of the Green and Gold.
HITTING FORM: Cobus Reinach. Picture: Kyodo News/AP.
Lurking in the shadows, though, was a man that last played for the Springboks back in 2015 and has since been one of the stars for his English team Northampton Saints, Cobus Reinach.
So when Erasmus recalled Reinach after a four-year absence, he was going to take his opportunity, even if it was as the third-choice in the squad.
GOLDEN BOY: Ace Hershel Jantjies. Picture: Raghavan Venugopal.
Take it he did, scoring a hattrick of tries against Canada on Tuesday to double his overall tally in 14 Tests for the Boks.
What Reinach did, though, was put his name in the hat for inclusion during the knockouts with De Klerk and Jantjies, to a lesser degree, not in top form at the moment.
COMPETITION: No.9 Faf de Klerk. Picture: Mark R. Cristino/EPA.
Reinach, however, wants what’s best for the team and says: “The way we train - the whole group train and we try to be accurate and precise and simulate game situations.
“That’s why we can change and the boat can still go at the same speed or even faster.”