South Africa scrum-half Cobus Reinach received DEATH THREATS from France fans on social media following the hosts’ narrow Rugby World Cup quarter-final exit to the holders, reveals Rassie Erasmus

• Cobus Reinbach has retained his place in the side to face England on Saturday
• The Springboks narrowly edged out hosts France in a thrilling contest 29-28
• Rassie Erasmus claimed that the world champions will ‘move on’ from threats 
• Latest Rugby World Cup 2023 news, including fixtures, live scores and results

South African scrum-half Cobus Reinach has been targeted with death threats by French fans on social media. 

The 33-year-old was part of the starting XV that narrowly defeated hosts France on Sunday, in a thrilling encounter that finished 29-28 to the reigning world champions in Paris. 

Both sides flew out of the traps with three scores each in the first half, before the Boks saw out the win after Cheslin Kolbe somehow charged down a Thomas Ramos conversion.

Antoine Dupont’s side were unable to edge out the Springboks in a staggering match, with Jacques Nienaber’s side setting up a meeting with England in a replay of last tournament’s final in Japan. 

However, since the game finished last weekend Reinach has received shocking messages from a fan on social media. 

South Africa scrum-half Cobus Reinach has been targeted with death threats from a French fan

Rassie Erasmus claimed that the threats would ‘upset’ Reinach’s parents but said his side would ‘move on’

The death threats he received on social media included hopes that Reinach would be killed on his return to his club, Montpellier

‘Dirty son of a b**** I hope that when you return to Montpellier you get murdered by French people on the ground gang of thieves, easy to win a title when you’re cheating,’ read the threat on social media. 

South African director of rugby Rassie Erasmus then responded on X (formerly known as Twitter), claiming that such things will upset the player’s ‘mom and dad’.

He was also keen to point out that a quote attributed to him was falsified, the supposed words reading: ‘Ireland and France Rugby can still make it to the Rugby World Cup Finals, They Just have to buy the tickets’

‘This is obviously not true,’ began Erasmus’ response, before addressing the threats to one of his players. 

‘Unfortunately these threats was made to Cobus Reinach!!

‘Its not nice and upsets a mom and dad to see things like that said about their boy! But we are not gonna whine, we will just move on!!!’

He added: ‘Hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie (they don’t know what we know in Afrikaans),’ perhaps in reference to UFC star Dricus du Plessis’ cry of the same phrase on his victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 in July.

The Scrum-half plays his club rugby in Montpellier in southern France, where he has made 63 league appearances in the three years since he joined from Northampton. 

Reinach was part of the side that beat hosts 29-28 in a tight contest on Sunday night in Paris

The 33-year-old has retained his place in the side that will take on England at the Stade de France

Reinach’s inclusion in the squad to take on France was perhaps a surprise inclusion, displacing the star of last tournament’s success, Faf de Klerk. 

But the 33-year-old half-back has retained his spot on the back of a stunning display against the hosts for the clash with England. 

It is an unchanged Boks team, while England have made three changes, with Freddie Steward, Joe Marler and George Martin in for Marcus Smith, Ellis Genge and Ollie Chessum respectively. 

The Boks will meet Steve Borthwick’s side at the Stade de France on Saturday evening at 8pm.  

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