Rise up, Ruan
8 Nov 2012
RYAN VREDE, in Dublin, writes Ruan Pienaar needs to make the transition from a highly competent Test player to a dominant one.
Being in Dublin this week has given me a sense of Pienaar’s standing in the game in this country, a level of appreciation earned through consistent outstanding performances for Ulster.
The country’s major newspapers have carried a piece relating to his potential threat to Ireland since Friday last week. The exaltation of Pienaar’s technical skill has usually been preceded by lavish praise for Ireland players and coaches. Andrew Trimble, Pienaar’s club team-mate, called for a purposeful targeting of Pienaar in a bid to unsettle a player he described as ‘… the most relaxed man I’ve ever met. He continued, saying: ‘He does the right thing 99% of the time.’
Ireland kicking coach Mike Tainton was even more liberal with the plaudits. ‘I was up in Ulster a few weeks ago doing a session with Paddy Jackson and he joined in and just watching him doing his drills and his dedication to what he is doing is fantastic. There’s no doubt that he is one of the best in the world,’ he said.
Newspaper journalists and columnists (former players included) have extolled his value to Ulster, for whom he is considered the key player, and warned of the terminal effects letting him find his groove for the Springboks could have for their countrymen. There is a sense of disbelief that he isn’t taking the goal kicks at the Aviva on Saturday, such has been his accuracy in the domestic competition and European Cup.
Tellingly Pienaar has often produced his best Ulster performances under extreme pressure. This wasn’t always the case. While still in South Africa, privately his coaches and senior Sharks and Springbok team-mates often voiced their concerns about his temperament under pressure. He had to start well, they said, or you would invariably find that he would be a non-factor.
Yet you cannot underestimate the damage the positional merry-go-round he was subjected to had on his development. He was still in his formative years as a professional, and an exceptional gift that should have been nurtured was instead nuked by coaches that engineered his demise while each believing they were doing no damage.
Moving to Ulster saved Pienaar’s career. I make this assertion with unwavering confidence. Deeply embedded psychological wounds healed there and slowly Pienaar started to rediscover the form which would later entrench him as the crowd favourite at Ravenhill and arguably the finest club scrumhalf in Europe. The sense here is that Ulster are a significantly weaker side without Pienaar.
Now, having seen off the challenge of Francois Hougaard, been promised positional stability with the Springboks and playing behind powerful pack, Pienaar needs to become to the national side what he is for Ulster.
Some players’ ceiling is elite-level club competitions, not so Pienaar. He lacks no technical gift and appears to have added mettle to his armoury. Fourie du Preez’s shadow still looms and will as long as Heyneke Meyer continues to publicly pine after his services. But Pienaar is a worthy replacement, capable of genius feats in the manner Du Preez was famous for.
Those pointing to the fact that Pienaar has already played 60 Tests and therefore has very little growth potential are wrong. A large percentage of those matches have seen him deployed at flyhalf, wing, centre or fullback. It is a sad indictment on his previous Springbok coaches that he is probably the world’s least experienced 60-cap veteran when measuring him in experienced gained in his preferred position (32 Tests as a scrumhalf but most of those as a replacement where he played 15 minutes or less).
There’s a new plane of existence waiting for Pienaar to explore. How fitting it would be if he starts living in that zone, one that sees him become a dominant Test player, in the country that has given him back his love for the game.
11 Comments
8 Nov 2012, 10:09 am
Probably the most underrated Springbok we’ve had. Seems to be a sentiment among South African coaches and fans; locks and scrumhalves MUST be from the Bulls.
Dragons
8 Nov 2012, 10:29 am
Good article, Ryan, and I agree.
Throughout Pienaar’s Bok tenure I have seen glimpses of the player he could be.
But I have not yet been convinced that he will ultimately become that player.
In many ways, his rugby journey can be likened to that of Percy Montgomery’s.
Montgomery was clearly viewed as talented from the outset, was capable of playing across the backline, but was prone to moments of inconsistency.
His return to the Springbok fold after his stint in Wales, the security Jake White gave him by backing him as the first-choice fullback and goal-kicker, plus the mature professionalism and dedication to his work and role in the team, saw Montgomery transform and shine.
Most people regarded Victor Matfield as the man of the match in the RWC 2007.
For me, it was Montgomery.
The English did their best to rattle him, but he remained unflappable.
Supporters were calm when Montgomery stepped up to kick for poles.
They knew he’d invariably convert.
Compare that to now when the Bok kicker steps up to the kicking tee.
8 Nov 2012, 11:41 am
Hope this is true, I have in the past doubted his dedication to the bok cause, maybe it was due to the shating around he recieved at the hands of SA coaches.
Hope he blows us away on Saturday.
We need to forget about both Fouries. We need a new generation of future world cup winners!
8 Nov 2012, 11:48 am
puff – Agree. I have always liked RP, Eddie Jones couldn’t praise him enuf, it is his time to shine and stake a permanent claim for the Bok 9 jersey!!!
8 Nov 2012, 11:51 am
Heyneke Meyer Depth Chart:
1 Beast Mtawarira – Gurthrö Steenkamp – Heinke van der Merwe – Dean Greyling
2 Bismarck du Plessis – Adriaan Strauss – Schalk Brits – Chiliboy Ralepelle – Tiaan Liebenberg – Craig Burden
3 Jannie du Plessis – Coenie Oosthuizen – Pat Cilliers – CJ van der Linde – Frans Malherbe – Werner Kruger
4 Eben Etzebeth – Flip van der Merwe – Bakkies Botha
5 Andries Bekker – Juandré Kruger – Franco van der Merwe – Marco Wentzel – Pieter-Steph du Toit
6 Francois Louw – Marcell Coetzee – Heinrich Brüssow
7 Schalk Burger – Willem Alberts – Jacques Potgieter – Siya Kolisi
8 Duane Vermeulen – Pierre Spies – Ryan Kankowski – Arno Botha – Keegan Daniel
9 Fourie du Preez – Ruan Pienaar – Francois Hougaard – Jano Vermaak – Piet van Zyl
10 Johan Goosen – Morné Steyn – Patrick Lambie – Elton Jantjies
11 Bryan Habana – Lwazi Mvovo – Bjorn Basson – Raymond Rhule
12 Francois Steyn – Wynand Olivier – Francois Venter
13 Jaque Fourie – Jean de Villiers – Juan de Jongh – Lionel Mapoe – JJ Engelbrecht
14 JP Pietersen
15 Jaco Taute – Zane Kirchner – Gio Aplon – Joe Pietersen
8 Nov 2012, 13:29 pm
Stuig op Ruan!
8 Nov 2012, 14:19 pm
Average player not convinced until I see him snipe more.
8 Nov 2012, 15:32 pm
Fantastic player who has proved a lot of supposed kenners dead wrong this season. World class player with X factor and should be our no. 1 SH going forward.
I am still surprised at how genuinely ignorant some fans are. If you aren’t able to appreciate what Ruaan brings to the table, you’re one of them.
8 Nov 2012, 22:51 pm
Average player
Has never had an outstanding game at 9 in his 50 plus tests.in fact his best game in green gold was at 10 vs Eng in 2008
He is the scrum half version of Pierre Spies.
Many trying so hard to make his case for him through everything BUT on this pitch
Neil de Kock also dominated in Europe for many years.b,ah blah blah
Aaron Smith already a better 9 in 1 season and a handful of Test.i would take a fat Weepu ahead of unibrow
Average,best suited as a utility back
8 Nov 2012, 23:24 pm
@hendrikp-5: Leave Greyling off that list. We are in the paddling pool by that stage.
10 Nov 2012, 15:53 pm
@mshiniwami-9: He’s only had 14 starts at scrum-half and many in weakened Bok sides, I thought he was good in the last two RC games (v NZ & Oz).
Aaron Smith is a front-foot player, he crumbles on the back-foot with no kicking game.
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