Player watch: Ruan Pienaar
Columnist Grant Ball looks at a video and stats of Ruan Pienaar’s performance against the All Blacks.
Pienaar was on fine form for Ulster in his debut season in the Magners League. But that must be taken in perspective. The standard of those teams is woefully below Super Rugby, and it showed in Pienaar’s performances in Sydney and Wellington – where he looked a shadow of his former self.
The Bok halfbacks also weren’t helped by their pack being man-handled on both occasions. The Boks’ only received slow ball from the breakdown due to many technical errors such as having the wrong cleaners in place at certain times, while their one-dimensional attack didn’t help in creating doubt in the defence.
It was a testing scenario for Pienaar, but it’s clear he’s not at his best – like many of the Boks. It shows in all of Pienaar’s actions, as his body language typifies a player riddled with self-doubt. It’s not surprising, as Peter de Villiers has never instilled any faith in the player.
The Bok squad to play Australia in Durban next week will be announced on Friday, and if Pienaar gets another chance, he’s got to exude a positive attitude.
The Wellington Test was never going to be easy for Pienaar behind a substandard pack, a No 8 who should be playing lock, and in a fledgling partnership with Pat Lambie.
Pienaar made a number 61 passes (a similar number to the Kiwi 9s), but the problem with the Boks’ attack is that most of these were to forward runners – which takes the decision-making away from flyhalf Lambie.
To see a video and all of Pienaar’s stats, click here
