Northern Ireland-based scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar is set to play a key role in the Springboks’ plans ahead of the team’s opening European tour match against Ireland in Dublin next Saturday.
But the veteran scrumhalf’s off-field input could be more valuable than anything he does on it.
Pienaar is set to return to the side after missing out on the Boks’ last two Rugby Championship matches because of injury, but his inside knowledge of the Irish players could prove vital as coach Heyneke Meyer plots the downfall of the Six Nations champions.
The scrumhalf, along with the other seven overseas-based players in the 36-man squad, will link up with the Boks in Dublin tomorrow.
Pienaar, who’s played for Ulster for three years and probably knows the ins and outs of all the Irish players, is set to be roped in by Meyer and his management team as soon as the Boks are settled into their Dublin hotel.
Yesterday, on the eve of the team’s departure, John McFarland, the Boks’ defence coach, said that being able to draw on the knowledge and experience of the overseas players was hugely beneficial on an European tour.
“Having Ruan in the squad certainly helps. He knows their players, he’s been playing against them and it was the same with Bakkies (Botha) and Gurthro (Steenkamp) last year when we played against France. They know the guys we’re going to be up against,” said McFarland.
“It’s a real help having them coming in. You get so much good information from them; they know the players’ strengths and weaknesses. It’s a bonus.”
McFarland said the challenges awaiting the Boks are very different to what they encountered in the Rugby Championship.
The conditions, for one, would be very different to what the Boks experienced in Cape Town and Joburg, when they beat both Australia and New Zealand.
“Ellis Park is always a quick game and the fatigue factor sets in at altitude. Up north, it’s slower and the game’s a lot more aerial,” said McFarland.
“There will be more kicking to defend against and in those conditions it’s just harder to move the ball around.
“It’s also harder to get quality front-foot ball and to turn teams around; defence really dominates the game up north.”
McFarland added that Ireland would be a tough first-up assignment.
“With them being ranked fifth in the world and being Six Nations champions, they’ll have aspirations to be better than that.
“They pushed the All Blacks close last year and, in fact, they should have won, so it’s going to be a big challenge.
“They’re a well-organised team and they’ve got a clear purpose of what they want to do. They’re right up there with the best in the world.
“Their halfbacks (Jonathan Sexton and Conor Murray) are very experienced, Jamie Heaslip is a strong flanker and Paul O’Connell is an icon. They’re a very good team.”
The start of the World Cup is just eight Tests away for the Boks, but McFarland said the only thing on his and the squad’s mind was the next four weeks.
“We’ve got a proud record in Europe over the last two years and all we want out of the tour is four more wins.
“Every Test is as important as the next one. The World Cup is there ... but right now the focus is only on Ireland.”
The Boks leave for Europe this evening. - Saturday Star