The Japan Times - Bordeaux-Begles' Van Rensburg 'not thinking' about Champions Cup double

Van Rensburg's French club marched to their first major trophy last May and reached this season's knock-outs as top seeds with a perfect run in the group stages.

Only five other teams have won consecutive titles in the previous 30 finals in the history of the tournament and its previous incarnations.

"When you start getting into these play-off games you're in a position where you really want to go to the end," Van Rensburg told AFP on Wednesday, with the quarter-finals taking place next week.

"But you can't go to the end if you don't win the weekend's game and I think that's the mentality for us.

"Because if Sunday doesn't happen then next week won't happen.

"We're not thinking about the double," the 31-year-old added.

Free State native Van Rensburg moved to the French south west in 2024 from the Yokohoma Canon Eagles in Japan after spells with the Bulls, the Lions and the Sharks in South Africa, and with Sale in England.

In his maiden campaign in a backline including winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Bordeaux-Begles lifted their first ever Champions Cup before losing narrowly to Toulouse in the Top 14 final.

Van Rensburg has settled into life near the Atlantic coast smoothly; he has learnt the language fluently and eats chunks of his baguette on the way home from the boulangerie.

"Louis Bielle-Biarrey told me at the end of last season, when you come here as a foreigner, it's so important for you to understand the language," Van Rensburg said.

"Because ultimately, if you're playing a team where you can't communicate with the person next to you in these high intense moments, how can you actually be the best team that you possibly can?

"That kind of stuck with me."

Van Rensburg made his only Springbok appearance in 2016 and holds hope of wearing the Test jersey again even if he is not in contact with two-time World Cup-winning coach Rassie Erasmus.

"If you look at the quality of the players there and the quality of the staff right now, it's unbelievable," Van Rensburg said.

"You can only be proud to obviously look at it and think to yourself, that's my country,

"I don't think any player will ever go away from trying to represent their country, especially when you can play for a South African team that has done what they've done in the last few years.

"The ambition will always be there," he added.

- 'General' O'Connor -

This weekend, Van Rensburg's title holders welcome the Tigers, one of a record seven English clubs to be in the knockouts, and their Australian playmaker James O'Connor.

Van Rensburg spent two seasons alongside veteran O'Connor during their days at Sale.

"I played with 'Rabs' at Sale and even then, he was an unbelievable player," Van Rensburg said.

"It's crazy to say at 35 years old but he's really grown into this confident player now.

"I think he's grown into understanding the game more where normally he was playing off the cuff a little bit more.

"I think he's been a real general for Leicester," he added.

The picks of the draw including the other English sides is three-time winners Saracens’ trip to Prem holders Bath and Bristol heading to record six-time Champions Cup winners Toulouse later on Saturday.

Scottish side Glasgow host the Pretoria-based Bulls as highly-rated head coach Franco Smith welcomes his former side to Scotstoun.

Fixtures (times GMT)

Friday

Northampton (ENG) v Castres (FRA) (1900)

Saturday

Bath (ENG) v Saracens (ENG), Toulon (FRA) v Stormers (RSA) (both 1400), Glasgow (SCO) v Bulls (RSA), Toulouse (FRA) v Bristol (ENG) (both 1630), Harlequins (ENG) v Sale (ENG) (1900)

Sunday

Bordeaux-Begles (FRA) v Leicester (ENG) (1400), Leinster (IRL) v Edinburgh (SCO) (1630)

T.Shimizu--JT