VIDEO: 'I would like to see any other 39-year-old scrumhalf that is in better shape'
Calling him a ‘true professional’, Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie put, in a nutshell, the value of Springbok utility back Ruan Pienaar to his team’s ambitions of silverware.
Pienaar, on his 39th birthday, produced a masterclass in game management – first at scrumhalf and then at flyhalf after the half-time break.
With the evergreen Frans Steyn on his outside, the Cheetahs got their 2023 Currie Cup campaign off to a flying start with a 42-19 victory over Griquas in Kimberley this past Friday.
It was exactly what coach Hawies Fourie wanted – the first of three matches in preparation for az trip to France and a Round of 16 Challenge Cup encounter with three-time European champions Toulon.
The seasoned utility back, Pienaar, was at the heart of almost every movement for the Bloemfontein side and he contributed 17 points to their winning cause via four conversions and three penalty goals.
Despite coming away with a full-house five points and their tactics delivering the desired result, coach Hawies Fourie said there is a ‘lot’ they can still work on and improve.
“We dominated Griquas physically on attack and defence, and that was part of the plan,” he added.
The coach stated the obvious by saying that Steyn and Pienaar are ‘really experienced players’.
(Article continues below Hawies Fourie interview …)
“They have played a lot of high-pressure games in their careers,” he said of the utility duo – Steyn, 35, with 78 international caps and Pienaar, who turned 39 on the day of the match, with 88 Tests to his credit.
“It is great to have the experience and the quality of those two players in our team – especially with our kicking game.
“In the second half, when I replaced Frans [Steyn], we moved Ruan [Pienaar] to flyhalf.
“He kicked really well tactically, down the middle of the field – finding grass and we put a lot of pressure on Griquas.
“They attempted to counter, because they were 20-odd points down, and we trapped them in their 22-metre area.
“It is great to have those old heads in our team – the quality that they bring to the team, the input they give during video sessions and on the training field is valuable for us.”
He said the young scrumhalves are learning a lot from Pienaar.
“Ruan is a great team man,” Fourie said, adding: “I would like to see any other 39-year-old scrumhalf that is in better shape than him.
“He is a true professional and it rubs off on the rest of the team.”
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