The pedigree and consistency of the evergreen Ruan Pienaar makes him the ideal candidate to call up in a Springbok half-back crisis in France, argues MARK KEOHANE.
Pienaar, who has 88 Test caps and a World Cup winner’s medal, scored 22 points to help the Free State Cheetahs beat the Vodacom Bulls in the Currie Cup semi-finals and set up a blockbuster decider against the defending champions, the Pumas.
Writing on his blog keo.co.za, Keohane suggests that the versatile playmaker, much like the role of fellow veteran Morne Steyn during the 2021 British & Irish Lions series, is the “ultimate insurance policy” for the Boks.
KEO: Boks can benefit from Pienaar’s timeless rugby pedigree
“Ruan Pienaar’s rugby pedigree and consistency in performance is such that I’d have no reservation calling on him in the case of a Springboks World Cup half-back injury crisis,” he writes.
“If good enough is old enough, when making the case of a 19-year-old, then good enough is young enough for the 39-year-old Pienaar, who in March next year will be 40.
“I am not saying pick him for the Springboks right now ahead of the incumbents, but if ever a player could answer an SOS close to the World Cup or during the World Cup, it would be this magnificent rugby player.
“He offers the Cheetahs everything, as a player and mentor to younger players, and he would add as much value to the Springboks in a moment of absolute emergency.”
MORE: Pienaar primed for ‘one more big one’
Photo: @TheCurrieCup/Twitter