Cape Town - The Sharks are relishing the prospect of having a fit Cobus Reinach among their ranks in this year's Super Rugby season.
The Springbok scrumhalf missed most of the 2016 season with a knee injury but is raring to go in 2017.
"We missed him a lot last year," assistant coach Sean Everitt told reporters in Durban on Tuesday. "He has been unlucky over the last few years with the injuries that he has had.”
Reinach, 27, played 10 Tests for the Springboks between 2014 and 2015 and brings a different dimension to the Sharks.
"Cobus certainly does provide us with X-factor. He is a good all-round scrumhalf, he is an opportunistic player with a good boot as well,” Everitt continued.
"More importantly he has been here for a long time. He knows the system, he gets on well with the coaches and he certainly delivers on the field, so we are happy to have him back."
This year may be the last Sharks fans get to see of Reinach though, as recent reports linked the scrumhalf to clubs abroad. He is contracted until the end of the 2017 season and the Durbanites indicated that they would attempt to hold on to his services.
Lock Etienne Oosthuizen was also linked with a move abroad.
"We are aware of the recent reports linking two of our players to overseas clubs," the Sharks told Sport24 earlier this month.
"Both Cobus Reinach and Etienne Oosthuizen’s contracts are up for renewal in October 2017. We are in discussions with these players together with other players who contracts expire this year regarding contract extensions.
"We understand fully the lure of the Pound and Euro and we will do everything we can to retain our players."
The Sharks head for Australia on Thursday where they start their Super Rugby campaign against the Reds in Brisbane on Friday, February 24.