Ruan’s like gold
2 Jun 2006
Sharks scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar is worth his weight in gold, according to Bok coach Jake White.
Pienaar, who played flyhalf for the SA U21s last year, is probably the most versatile player in the Bok squad, which also makes him one of the most valuable.
“Ruan can play almost anywhere in the backline,” said White on Boots & All. “And that makes him like gold for a touring team and for a tournament like the World Cup.”
White said he had been left with no choice but to include Pienaar after the scrumhalf’s efforts in the Super 14 this year.
“If he’s good enough to go to the World Cup next year, then he should be involved with the side now,” he said. “The quicker I get him involved, the better. I want him to understand the ethos of the Springbok team and brand.”
Pienaar is on the bench for Saturday’s game, and should replace Ricky Januarie at some point in the second half.
94 Comments
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2 Jun 2006, 06:26 am
So where are all the dragon bashers?
2 Jun 2006, 06:28 am
Just hope he gets a chance to actually settle down in A position soon, we do not want another Brent “Jack of all, master of none” Russell running around! Sort it out now JW!
2 Jun 2006, 06:44 am
Can’t wait to see how Ruan compares to one of the best scrumhalfes the world has ever seen, think Ruan will show the old dog a new trick
2 Jun 2006, 06:53 am
It is great to have players that can slot in in several positions, especially for tournamens like the WC, but you will always get the best out of a specialist. I agree Ruan should be settled into one position. And maybe flyhalf is that position?
2 Jun 2006, 07:00 am
Scrumhalf is his prefered position and he plays very well there, sure if need be have him on the bench as your backs cover, but most of the time, he should play scrummy, nice to see him getting a shot ahead of ‘slow service fourie’
2 Jun 2006, 07:09 am
He reminds me of a young and hungry Joost. at the time he was one of the best in the world. I am sure Pienaar will be able to follow. I would prefer to see him at scrummy. Imagine him against the likes of Carter & co at fly half, doesn’t have the bulk to stop the centre’s running at him
2 Jun 2006, 07:17 am
i dont care if mondays blue,tuesdays grey or wednesday too,thursday i dont care about you its friday im in love.
2 Jun 2006, 07:23 am
Going back a few years now but who can remember the try his Dad score for the Boks at the FS stadium (sh*t for brains can’t remember against whom!), the one he dived across the line and jumped up with his hands in the air celebrating.
Next day the Rapport had a HUGE photo of him on the front page with a broad smile and hands in the air…great memory!
2 Jun 2006, 07:33 am
9. ha ha. he is one of the best young talents. he should bump claasens, de kock and conradie out of the picture permanently. he has good spatial awareness, he can take it up himself, good pass and not scared of contact. why doesnt JW give him a full 40 minutes?
2 Jun 2006, 07:35 am
Shame Bliksem (7),
Someone busy breaking your hart?
2 Jun 2006, 07:36 am
comment 7 from a song
2 Jun 2006, 07:38 am
Would like to see him improve his kicking game though.
2 Jun 2006, 07:42 am
pity he ain’t black….
2 Jun 2006, 07:46 am
no jds.life is good.
2 Jun 2006, 07:48 am
TOMPIG Joost was ok, he had half a brain.
This guy is brilliant!
2 Jun 2006, 07:53 am
“Ruan can play almost anywhere in the backline”
he has excelled at srum half!!!
That is the problem with sa rugby they tend to play players out of position and when they dont perform they lose confidence.
Then what happens the coach put the player back in his preferred position and due to lack of confidence plays KAK.
They go overseas and coaches there give them free reign to get confidence back and they perform.
Tana give Jake a Handbag smack to wake him up.
2 Jun 2006, 08:03 am
fuzzbear I agree, but there was a time when Joost was brilliant, made Marshal look silly. Played a year or so too long and gave himself a bad name. you’re only as good as your last game.Pienaar just has the X factor that will make opposition nervous
2 Jun 2006, 08:06 am
I agree, he is way ahead of FOURIE who is over rated. We also have Vermaak from the LIONS, a really talented youngster.Go Ruuan, make us proud
2 Jun 2006, 08:07 am
Joost ‘moored” himself amoungst the eyes when he went to the last world cup!
I wonder who he had to fight against at camp staaldraad. Was probably him and Jorrie Muller with pillows on a greasy pole.
Do you remember the old nokia brick. Can you imagine hitting someone with one of those in your hand bag.
2 Jun 2006, 08:08 am
Yeah, when it comes to a World Cup, then you want 15 specialists and the rest can mix and match. You don’t want Jean playing on wing, Ruan at outside centre, AJ at lock, Percy at flyhalf and Jaco at right wing. That doesn’t sound like a winning combination to me. You’d want:
15.) Percy Montgomery
14.) Andre Snyman
13.) Jacque Fourie
12.) Jean De Villiers
11.) Bryan Habana
10.) Jaco van der Westhuysen
9.) Ruan Pienaar
8.) AJ Venter
7.) Juan Smith
6.) Schalk Burger
5.) Victor Matfield
4.) Bakkies Botha
3.) CJ van der Linde
2.) John Smit (c)
1.) Guthro Steenkamp
16.) BJ Botha
17.) Schalk Brits
18.) Danie Rossouw
19.) Luke Watson
20.) Fourie du Preez
21.) Meyer Bosman
22.) Brent Russel
2 Jun 2006, 08:11 am
Hey Fuzzy, nokia brick…believe it or not, still got mine at home and it is still working, had to use it a while ago, battery life sucks though!
2 Jun 2006, 08:12 am
I was just thinking, if SA could push out a non-white side – Boks included, who would be in it?
15.) JP Pietersen
14.) Aswin Willemse
13.) Bryan Habana
12.) Wayne Julies
11.) Akona Ndungane
10.)
9.) Ricky January
8.) Johnathan Makuoena
7.) Solly Tyibilika
6.) Tim Dlulane
5.)
4.)
3.) Eddie Andrews
2.)
1.) Guthro Steenkamp
2 Jun 2006, 08:14 am
Rugby Student
I would swop AJ for Van Neikerk,
Van Neikerk gives the boks an attacking option AJ is just an enforcer.
2 Jun 2006, 08:15 am
Sorry, almost forgot about splinters: Hanyani Shimange but I’d rather have
2.) Chilliboy Rallapele
2 Jun 2006, 08:15 am
Fourie against the crusaders, in the last game for the bulls in s14, was shocking to say the least! I think he lost them posesion about four times in the first five minutes. Thats unacceptable at his level.
Does he have a girlfriend cause thats generally half the problem sometimes with these guys.
There chick aint giving them head and it all falls apart.
Graham Smith, Jorrie Muller, DeWet Barry, AJ Venter, QDavids shame I dont think he’s ever seen a fanny before
You can see Habana’s chick just cant get enough!
2 Jun 2006, 08:17 am
BokinOzzie
Joe crabs sideways too much from the base, even when going forward. You don’t need your eightman to attack. Sure it brings another dimension but not at the cost of doing the basics right. And at the World Cup in the Northern Hemisphere, you need the basics first, getting go forward ball, rather than attacking. South Africa, anyway, aren’t an attacking side right now.
2 Jun 2006, 08:19 am
BokinOzzie
I believe AJ has as much skill as Joe. Right now, Joe isn’t good at eighth man and I wouldn’t pick him ahead of Juan and Schalk.
2 Jun 2006, 08:20 am
Rugby student
I see your point about NH game plan options and players to suit.
2 Jun 2006, 08:22 am
Rugbystudent,
Interesting that you say Vn neikerk is not a good 8 man.
I thought he brought options at the back of the scrum.
2 Jun 2006, 08:23 am
Juan does bring a leadership aspect to the base of the scrum, desciveness is needed here.
2 Jun 2006, 08:23 am
AJ Venter has as much skill as Joe.
Sorry have you watched AJ this past super 14, the guys been average if not very average and has made so many unforsed errors its ridiculous!
AJ breaks from base of scrum and drives up and attempts back pass to Brits, pass goes haywire and Brits falls on his face, scrum down oposition ball. He did this atleast once every game and I never saw it once work. AJ is now were close to Joe in pace or skill period!
2 Jun 2006, 08:25 am
Rugbystu
(29)
Sorry I did not read your post (27) correctly.
Read it with my eyes closed.
2 Jun 2006, 08:27 am
BokinOzzie
Don’t get me wrong. Joe van Niekerk on form, focused and without any injury is probably the best man at eight in the country. He’s the complete footballer, he’s as fast as the backs, skilled, strong and explosive. Right now, he’s just got the wrong game in his head. He plays too much on his own. The crucial positions for leadership to me is no 2, 8 and 10. When you’ve got that right, then you are on a good track. I haven’t seen AJ let any team down yet!
2 Jun 2006, 08:28 am
If I was coach I would struggle to put Brent russell in the side considering the world cup is in the NH.
2 Jun 2006, 08:29 am
Anybody seen Jake`s commenst re Cobus Visagie. What is it with Jake these days? Want to tell me that Eddie is better than Cobus? Care to remember who our tighthead was when we went on the record equalling winning spree?
2 Jun 2006, 08:31 am
Venter is a fool!
http://www.ajventer.com
I would play Juan Smith or Joe at 8 never Venter, he’d be my fifth choice maybe.
2 Jun 2006, 08:31 am
Fuzzybear
That was under **** Muir’s gameplan. You wouldn’t see that under Jake White. Jake has a structured plan for his eigth man. When Joe came into Jake’s squad the first year, you could see him do much more of the basics right. Remember that game against New Zealand during the tri-nations?! He was awesome. I think he has forgotten those finer points. I do hope he gets back cause the man can be as explosive as Habana.
2 Jun 2006, 08:31 am
Rugbystudent, I`ll have Joe at 8 and Petoors at 10. Otherwise a very good side.
2 Jun 2006, 08:31 am
Well done Jake, well spotted you crafty eagle eye. When all the srumhalves were injured last year, the whole country was begging you to take Ruan, but instead you took Classens, who played like a tosser.
This guy should already be a bok.
GO SHARKS
2 Jun 2006, 08:33 am
Rugbystu (33)
Good post.
Crucial positions to me are
1. Where ever the captain is
then 8, 9, 10 and 15.
Why 15 is important – in the attack and defense setup if he does not read the game right and does not link up well the fullback will be in for a long day.
2 Jun 2006, 08:33 am
BokinOzzie Russell is an impact player, he’s guy you bring on to turn game on its head, thats all, he’ll never start and he is a very usefull sub as he can play five different positions in the backs!
Cobus Visagie RIP, and move on, please !
2 Jun 2006, 08:34 am
Tony Moneo
Jake is trying to justify, having Eddie Andrews in the squad. He’s under political pressure. Eddie Andrews is probably 6th in line when it comes to tightheads that can play for SA:
CJ van der Linde
Cobus Visagie
Faan Reutenbach
Pat Barnard
BJ Botha
Eddie Andrews
2 Jun 2006, 08:36 am
Oh yeah on 35,
the record equalling winning spree of 17 was primarily done with Robbie Kempson, James Dalton and Adrian Garvey, with Olie le Roux coming in during the second half
2 Jun 2006, 08:37 am
RS (42), but I thought quotas in the Bok team belong to the past
2 Jun 2006, 08:38 am
Fuzzybear (41)
Russell is an impact player but in the NH the game plan could be tighter.
2 Jun 2006, 08:39 am
PB, yeah, you`re right, my bad…
2 Jun 2006, 08:40 am
Tony Moneo
There’s not much to pick between them. In that case, it comes down to personal choice.
For me:
Petoors’ head sometimes goes in the clouds. I get the feeling he tries to be too spectacular. If I remember correctly, we scored more tries when Jaco played at 10 than Petoors. That too me is where we are lacking.
I’ve already explained why I’d pick AJ. I seriously want Joe in but I want him on form, injury free and focused. Just imagine a back row that’s in form, focused and injury free of: Joe van Niekerk, Juan Smith and Schalk Burger. Wouldn’t that be a great battle against: Mose Tui’li, Richie Mccaw and Jerry Collins!!
2 Jun 2006, 08:40 am
Doesnt matter who’s flippin game plan, a pass is a pass, a flip is a flip, you do is correctly and as a profesional. I actually doubt that was Dicks game plan anyway, Venter and Britz to me are like two pea’s in a pod and probably room togther, anyway the execution of that was so poor. The execution of a lot of the things he does is shocking as a loose forward. Play AJ lock yes but not a loosie, as JW did last year.
2 Jun 2006, 08:42 am
Tony Moneo
We all know what the real deal is. Its no coincidence when everybody was fit, there was a quota system. Suddenly when a few non-white players get injured, Jake carte blanche to pick whoever. I must give it to Jake, he covers his backside pretty well.
2 Jun 2006, 08:42 am
I`m gonna start a petition which will go to the highest authority in the land.
The bring back Schalk Naude Petition
That guy had a beard that will make Chuck Norris cry…
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