'It's something I just grew up with, I've no idea where it comes from'
Benhard Janse van Rensburg will have enjoyed the Saturday night bus ride home with London Irish. The deserved win over Bath gave the team a huge leg up in the Gallagher Premiership table in the race for the playoffs and there was sure to be the usual craic as they wound their way along the M4.
The South African didn’t travel down with them on Saturday morning. He and a few others at the Exiles prefer to get these journeys done earlier than game day. “It’s different from person to person,” he explained on Friday afternoon to RugbyPass before hitting the road west towards The Rec where he was a 59th-minute try-scorer in the 25-10 victory.
“Some people enjoy spending the night before the game with their families and they don’t mind sitting on the bus the next day before the game. I’m just a little bit used to trying to stay as close as possible to the game the next day so that I don’t have to spend those two-and-a-half hours on the bus before a game.
“Then I don’t have to wake up that early in the morning. I can just be calm and stretch my legs a little bit before the game. But if we get a win on an away trip like that, the bus ride back is always fun. (Agustin) Creevy normally takes over the speaker, plays some Argentinian songs and the playlist he has. Then after an hour, he will just open the floor for everyone that has requests.”
It was the summer of 2021 when the now 26-year-old first arrived at London Irish after a Japanese pitstop at the Green Rockets Tokatsu. Corniel van Zyl was the conduit. Having worked with van Rensburg at the Cheetahs, he put a good word in at the Exiles and the match-up has been idyllic.
The wait is finally over and the votes have been counted ??
The first Gallagher Player of the Month for 2023 is @londonirish player Benhard Janse van Rensburg ?
Read more here:https://t.co/HrHPErRP0r pic.twitter.com/8s5NNy27up
— Gallagher UK (@GallagherUK) February 9, 2023
Saturday was van Rensburg’s 48th appearance and he went into it as the Gallagher Premiership’s player of the month for January. Good going, especially when you consider his December faux-pax of somehow standing on a knife at home and inflicting a five-stitch wound. He just loves playing for the club.
“It’s the type of rugby, the exciting brand, it makes it so enjoyable. The attacking rugby, the attacking mindset, that is the type of rugby I love playing. Any young guy that comes to Irish and fits into their style of rugby will enjoy it here.
“We always have a go. Tight game, loose game, 30 points ahead, 30 points behind, we will always have a go. We score some amazing tries and have some amazing young lads. It makes it so exciting. To have someone on the field next to you that does something amazing hypes you up.”
This season’s highlight was a Christmas Eve eve gift, London Irish striking against the grain in the final minute to see out a December 23 home win over Saracens. “We were two points ahead with a minute on the clock when they got a penalty and kicked it out on the halfway. We turned over the lineout and Tom Pearson ran almost onto the five and we scored off that.”
Pace is the joyous London Irish calling card, the likes of Henry Arundell, Ollie Hassell-Collins and Ben Loader underpinning the attack-from-anywhere mentality. “If someone kicks a ball onto Henry at full-back, or Ben or Ollie, as you are running back you are always expecting something to happen from them.
“That is amazing, to have that type of running mindset to go, ‘Listen, something is going to happen now’. If I’m in the midfield and have someone like Henry outside, you always think if there is a little bit of space my mind says to get the ball to them and they can use that space. If they get half a gap, they are probably gone.”
How does van Rensburg shape up against this lot in the sprint stakes? “No, not a chance. I don’t think I’d ever take them on in a sprint. They’re not in my league, they are definitely a few leagues above me. With the speed they are, they can take on one another, but I would challenge them in a breakdown contest maybe.”
That’s naughty. Sticking the head in where it potentially gets hurt is trademark van Rensburg. Coming into this weekend’s round 17 fixtures, he rated joint seventh on the list of turnovers won. His tally of 11 was equal to Tom Curry, not shabby at all in a breakdown foraging list topped by Will Evans, Ben Earl and Tommy Reffell. Why is the South African so fearlessly potent in this skill?
Poor Benhard Janse van Rensburg…
You can't get a moment's peace with Craig Doyle around! ?#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/xuyx5ejy6v
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 14, 2022
“That is something I just grew up with, I have no idea where it comes from or why I started doing it. It’s not a usual thing for a back to do but I just grew up doing it. You have to pick your moments when you want to do it and then you just hope for the best, not getting any injuries or whatever. I don’t try and think too much, if I see that opportunity I just go for it.
“The biggest thing is you don’t want to have that mindset, ‘Oh s***, if I go there I might get an injury or someone might hurt me, whatever’. I just think if you have the right posture going over that ball and you just stay strong over the ball, stay as strong as possible, you don’t have to worry about anything.
“I mean, accidents maybe do happen but if you don’t think about it too much then hopefully it won’t happen to you. Yeah, just try not to think about it too much, try not to think about all the worst things that can happen. I mean, it is a good thing to have. Making a turnover at the breakdown is a big momentum shift for your team, so try not to think about it too much.
“As a defence, the best outcome is to get a turnover or force an error from them. It is definitely a big momentum shift if you can get a breakdown turnover, it shifts the mindset from defence to attack and if you get a penalty at the breakdown it gets you 25, 30 metres up the field and maybe into their 22 or into their half where you can play your attacking rugby.”
Benhard Janse van Rensburg is fast becoming my fave player to follow in the Prem. Thought he was just a bash and barge merchant with good defence but he's got game smarts and disbrute as well. Also seems pretty bullet proof in the body which is a skill in it's own right. #LIRvBRI
— Huw Tindall (@HuwTindall) January 8, 2023
Van Rensburg never doubted his rugby potential despite his off-the-beaten-track upbringing in Thabazimbi. Notable performances for the Leopards U19s were followed by university days at NWU Pukke where his progress was accelerated by a 2016 Varsity Cup title and selection for the South Africa U20s.
“I wouldn’t say I doubted that I was going to make it. I was in a very small school, so I went to university with the mindset of, ‘I’m going to study and play as much rugby as I can and just enjoy it’. I didn’t have that thought that I might play professional rugby one day, but then things just started working out for me a little bit.
“I got called up into the Varsity Cup group and we won it that season. From there on, I was ‘I can actually make it’ and since then I had that mindset that I never doubted myself.”
A curiosity about that pivotal university breakthrough was van Rensburg being the scorer of rugby’s first-ever nine-point try. “That was something they brought in that year just to make it more exciting, to get teams to run the ball out of their own half, and I was very lucky that I was on the receiving end of the first one. Nine points and the conversion was an extra two.”
Benhard Janse van Rensburg has arrived in the Junior Bok camp. Straight from the airport to training @Springboks pic.twitter.com/VkKzu7d1oX
— SA Junior Rugby (@SAJuniorRugby) June 23, 2016
Would he like that type of scoring quirk used in the Premiership? “I don’t really know. We would enjoy it because we score tries from everywhere but nine points is a lot. I remember one game, we had two slip-offs one after another and just like that, you were 22 points behind. It’s a little bit wild. I don’t know if that is going to work over here, but London Irish would benefit a lot from it.”
Back, though, to his South African backstory: After college, the Sharks took an immediate shine but it was at the Cheetahs, following a brief detour to the Southern Kings, where van Rensburg came of age in the pro game. Franco Smith was the facilitator, allowing the then fly-half to learn the ropes in both midfield positions.
He is forever grateful for that tuition and annoyed that the Cheetahs, along with the disbanded Kings, are no longer URC participants. Instead, the big-four South African franchises muscled in on a territory where the Bloemfontein club were pioneers in coming north to play.
“I wish there were more teams. There are so many young boys who want to play rugby and not enough space in the four big franchises, I almost want to say I made my name when I played at the Cheetahs and when they had a competition to play in. I don’t really know how you fix something like that but if you can maybe have more teams in South Africa, it would benefit a lot of the younger guys who come out of school.
“For a youngster to go through all the ranks in South Africa, it is tight and you have to be disciplined in yourself, work really hard to be seen. I played Varsity Cup and after that went to the Sharks. I didn’t play as much but then I got the opportunity to play under Franco Smith at the Cheetahs and that was just amazing for me. He wanted to give me a go in the centres and now I’m capable of playing fly-half, inside centre, outside centre.”
BV as he is known – ‘The first letter of my name and the first letter of my surname to keep it as short as possible’ – these days keeps himself busy away from rugby on the golf course. “The weather makes it a little difficult to play in the winter because it is very wet and cold. I normally play off a nine handicap but I didn’t play so well the last few rounds, so I’m probably higher than that.”
With Bath now beaten on the rugby pitch, next up for London Irish is next Saturday night’s rendezvous at Brentford with Leicester. Picking up points during this Six Nations period is crucial for the end-of-term ambitions. “After these games, we will know better who is going to qualify. It is also important to take advantage of some of the teams losing a few players to the Six Nations squads.
“Brentford is an amazing stadium to play at, amazing atmosphere. I’m very glad we have got those wins against Saracens, Bristol, Harlequins – they are big wins and hopefully we can keep the fans coming.”
Comments on RugbyPass
A Turtle has more pace and leg drive than Owen Franks, so it’s a good thing he only had to run 90 metres for that try.
2 Go to commentsOh Tamati Tua was in the vastly over-rated Leon MacDonalds Blues system? Well, no wonder he was wasted, much like Emoni Narawa and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens under MacDonald. now look at them. Good thing Tua isn’t eligible, the Aussies latch on to any player who isn’t tied down.
2 Go to commentsMark Telea is a lot of things, but a defensive juggernaut has never been one of them. There will be far bigger tests in that regard for the youngster.
10 Go to commentsLove and respect to Fiji but not a chance outside of 7s
4 Go to commentsGood summation Ned. Agree the Canes were out-muscled for once (except at the scrum!) by a focused Brumbies outfit. Tua deserves consideration for higher honors after the way he humbled Jordie and the Canes defense. Thankfully, his lack of eligibility for Oz keeps him from Joe’s plans. While I also agree the injuries affected the Canes performance, some players seemed to lack focus and intensity for this match. Perhaps after the Blues demolished the Brumbies, they thought it was going to be easy? A good reminder that any slip up in preparation can have a big affect on the result. Brumbies deserved that win.
2 Go to commentsKarl Dixon should never have been appointed this fixture, absolute disgrace, He’s not much of a referee anyway, didn't have the balls to send his mate care off
5 Go to commentsBrilliant article! Harry of 8/9
1 Go to comments‘UK athletes' have been in the NFL from the start.
1 Go to commentsIt’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
23 Go to commentsI commend Colin Scotts bio All Balls. He was the first Aussie to make it to NFL. But he was poached and did a full apprenticeship at the University of Hawaii. He was 130kgs surfed played 1st grade cricket etc. big guy by normal but not NFL standards and a top athlete. Even then the nfl were picking up Tongans and Samoans for their natural size and explosive power. They want explosive power not cardio from the big boys so a guy like Taniela Tupou would have been good if picked up young enough. He has fast twitch and they’d bulk the little lad up and give him something to do. soccer teams set up academies and look for Over Sara’s talent eg Messi was at Barcelona since a teenager and harry kewell went to Leeds as a teenager like 16 or something.
11 Go to commentsThe article alludes to the fact that this isn’t about picking a captain. But picking a great captain. So who would make for a great All Black captain - not just an obvious or safe shoo-in? I’m not sure Ardie’s the guy and Barret doesn’t stand out either.
23 Go to commentsI guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
45 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
5 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
45 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
45 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
5 Go to comments