According to a recent Tank Lanning tweet (what a great source of information those are), Ruan Pienaar will not be made available to the Stormers for the remainder of their Super Rugby campaign.
This rumour broke a few weeks ago, with JJ Harmse initially suggesting Pienaar was on his way to join the Bulls on completion of the Northern Hemisphere season. Nobody could quite figure out why such a move would happen, since it didn’t seem to benefit anyone particularly much. It transpired shortly afterwards that it was, in fact, the Stormers who were chasing the former Sharks halfback.
Pienaar’s agent went on to confirm that an official loan request had been made to Ulster, however, a source close to the player told Sharksworld right when the first rumours broke that the story was bogus and that nothing was likely to happen. It seems that source has now been vindicated, with Stormers supremo Rassie Erasmus apparently confirming to Lanning that no move has been agreed.
In other news, Bok centre Jaque Fourie looks to be out of the Stormers next game against the Blues and coach Alister Coetzee is likely to call up a replacement to the tour party.
Tweet
How I miss Pienaar…I wish we could partner him with Lambie. That would create some magic for the team.
Miss him a lot more than Frans!!
@ruggabugga (Comment 2) : But imagine ruan at 9, Lambie at 10 and Fransie at 12…
He was my favorite player but than he left 🙁
@Viking (Comment 3) : and adi at 13 😛 pure magic that would be!
@Poisy (Comment 5) : How our fortunes would change if we can get those combo’s 🙄
@Viking (Comment 6) : alas 🙁 we can’t
@Poisy (Comment 5) : Wouldn’t help playing Adi at 13, he will never get the ball.
@Ben (Comment 8) : Lambie will just have to employ the skip pass then 😎
@Viking (Comment 3) : @Viking (Comment 1) : Isn’t that just indicative of the Sharks missed opportunities. The Sharks player contractors put the Sharks in the position they are. A while ago there were rumours that the Sharks were looking at getting an Ebehrson brother, for some reason it fell through. Imagine how much stronger the Sharks would be with twins rather than Bosman and Jacques Louis Potgieter. Last year the Bulls paid the Griquas a tidy sum to poach Basson. The Sharks missed a trick by not doing the same going after Sarel Pretorius. Instead the Sharks buy Hoffman that they don’t even want to play. So a clearly overplayed Charl McLoed gets worse as the season goes on due to fatigue. Backline player purchasing and coaching has definitely been the Sharks achilles heel.
@Ben (Comment 8) : we can do without frans to be honest even jlp can play inside centre
@waje (Comment 10) : EISH! 😛
@waje (Comment 10) : Sad but true. I wonder if Lambie would have been where is now had Frans and Ruan not left. You gotta make the best of what you got.
@Viking (Comment 9) : @Poisy (Comment 11) : To be honest I don’t miss Frans at all and I’m actually glad he left. No one man is bigger or more important than the team. He thought he was.
@Viking (Comment 13) : You also have to know what you need and spend the money to get it, if you want a Super rugby trophy. Not buy competent players and hope they will be game breakers. Especially if the coaching staff have no clue how to use a backline. Crusaders and Bulls never got where they are by buying donkeys and hoping a fairy god mother will change them into stallions.
Pienaar and his management crew clearly watched the Stormers game this weekend and realised that if he were to take up the offer there is no way that they would play him anywhere but at flyhalf.
@Ben (Comment 14) : Its too bad though. He has the size and the speed to do what SBW does. But I don’t believe he is the player that plays to make other arround him look good like SBW does ❓
@Ben (Comment 14) : he did kinda get unlike able as time went on,I hope lambie stays humble,fast tracking the cronje twins(his good mates)to the super 15 and currie cup would definitely help keeping him here plus if we don’t do that,we will lose the twins to the lions,people are in aw of the cheetah twins and for get we have our own who are incredibly talented! But a lack of opportunities for them will drive them away!
Ok so it seems that this is blame the coach and procurement week….again. Did we lose on the weekend or something that I dont know about?
@waje (Comment 15) : It will be interesting to see the return of Joubert to SuperRugby. He is playing some good ruggas in europe but I am not sure what will happen when you put him back our style of playing?
@Viking (Comment 3) : I would prefer Pienaar at 9, Lambie at 10 and Barritt at 12. That would be an awesome combo.
@Salmonoid (Comment 19) : the latter
@Poisy (Comment 18) : Imo the Cronje twins will not make it in the Sharks senior team. I’ve seen nothing special from them. Hope I’m wrong.
@Poisy (Comment 18) : I actually don’t think the twins are Super Rugby material. They are good, but I don’t think they have that edge that is needed to take the big leap. I just don’t see much improvement from them. Against the Pampas XV they were good, but didn’t seem to have big match temperament.
@Viking (Comment 17) : Frans doesn’t come close to the distribution game that SBW has. He couldn’t really make the players around him look good even if he wanted to, but he makes up for that with his big booming boot. That is why I will only play him at fullback.
@Salmonoid (Comment 19) : No but the true test of the Sharks depth happens over the next few weeks. No point in kicking them while they are down, but lighting a little fire under their arses is definitely needed to get them motivated. Bosman cannot perform at the level he has been, he needs to prove he isn’t just a donkey. I wouldn’t mind being proven wrong.
@waje (Comment 24) : how will we know if we don’t try them out? We need to take that leap of faith the same way we did with lambie or mark my words sooner rather than later we will play against them and they will carve us up! Iv seen them play a lot and also played against them in school,they have been loyal to the sharks its time we give them a shot and only judge them on they performance
@Poisy (Comment 27) : Lambie was always stand out. You could see in Vodacom Cup he had the class needed to make the step. The twins look like Vodacom Cup is the limit of their abilities. They don’t have standout performances.
@Ben (Comment 25) : I think you can teach Fransie how to offload more in the game. Whether is style of play would accomodate that is another question. SBW’s games revolves arround getting other players into space and that is what makes him such a great player. That’s why Frans will have to change the way the style in which he plays to get other players into space. The way he plays now is much more suited for 15 though.
@Poisy (Comment 22) : Enlighten me please?
@waje (Comment 28) : I completely disagree,they do a lot of the work that gets others glory or stand out performances,but only time will tell I guess and I will say I told you so weather they were a sharks jersey or other unions jersey in super rugby
@Viking (Comment 29) : sorry got to go my exam is about to start,we will talk in 2hours time
@Poisy (Comment 32) : Hope you nail your exam.
@Poisy (Comment 32) : Good luck. Remember, 50 is pass, 51 is a distinction and 52 or more you worked to hard 🙂
@Poisy (Comment 31) : The positions they occupy requires them to be the ones that are standout, not players around them. Fourie du Preez, Daniel Carter make players around them look good, but no-one can deny they are the reason for the success around them. The Cronje’s don’t show that ability. They clam up under pressure.
as per SA Rugby mag; Pienaar wants to come back and play for Sharks… The new issue with Luke Watson on the cover…
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 36) : Unfortunately Pienaar has a contract untill end 2012. But lets hope he returns to the Sharks after that. He’s a great player with a lot of years ahead of him.
Man, wish we could spend a bit of shrewd money and end up with a 9-10-12 combo of Pienaar-Lambie-Luke McAlister…
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 36) : That would be part one of two if we can get him back. Next up Frans.
Its quite on here today. Let me head over to Keo. Not!
Awwwwww how sad, but this can’t be true. I mean the Stormers even kept a touring spot open for Pienaar………
@KSA Shark © (Comment 41) : somebody who does not know you may think you’re really sorry 😆
@Ben (Comment 40) : no need to swear so early in the morning
@Poisy (Comment 11) : of course he can but we have plenty of players who can play 12 the trick is to have good player there and Frans was good.
@rekinek (Comment 43) : Just had to get it of my chest. I feel better now. 🙂
@Viking (Comment 13) : he probably would. remember pienaar is 9 and frans 12 (i think both him and the Sharks realised in 2009 that there is little sense in making him flyhalf).
@Salmonoid (Comment 16) :
peter was just a bit rusty after injury …
@Poisy (Comment 18) : perhaps we will see more of them in CC .
@Salmonoid (Comment 33) : thanx bro it went well 😉
@Viking (Comment 34) : thanx it went well 😉 now for olympic trials for sailing here I come 😀
@rekinek (Comment 48) : I hope so hey I really do 🙁
@rekinek (Comment 46) : But they wanted to make pienaar 10 when he wanted to play 9. Frans wanted to play 10 but they wanted him at 12 or 15. Just wonder what would have happened had they not left the union when they did?
@Salmonoid (Comment 19) : we are just complainy by nature 😆
@Poisy (Comment 50) : good luck ! 😀
@lostfish (Comment 21) : trio? 😉
@rekinek (Comment 54) : thanx I need it 😛 a lot of south african sailors have left and sail for england now because the money is just so much better there and they don’t get screwed around by the government
@Poisy (Comment 56) : please – let’s not get started on politics again today?
@robdylan (Comment 57) : lol sure thing 😉
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 36) : didn’t he say last year that after 2 years with Ulster he wants to retire in Durban 😆
@Viking (Comment 52) : true, but I thought it got ironed eventually.
@Poisy (Comment 58) : big brother’s watching 😀
I just think that there are many young and upcoming Nr 9’s and centers at the Sharks. The problem in SA rugby is that they always play the older players that come back from overseas and don’t give the youngsters a change to show their talent! 😯
@rekinek (Comment 55) : a trio as well… 😉
@Poisy (Comment 49) : 😎 glad to hear it.
@lostfish (Comment 63) : how’s the little one . Isn’t it sort of now ? 😛
@rekinek (Comment 65) : She is doing great. She will be 5 months tomorrow. I can’t believe how time flies.
@lostfish (Comment 66) : wow… hold onto it while you can. My little girl turned 6 today! Seems like just yesterday she was born.
@lostfish (Comment 66) : 😯 you don’t say, i am soooo behind 🙄
good to hear 😛
Just heard on the news that the Stormers are not interested in signing Pienaar. Now who can AN OTHER be then.
@Salmonoid (Comment 69) : why do you need to hear it on the news? This very thread reported the story this morning already 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 70) :
The news item gives the impression that the Stormers were never interested in a deal.
@robdylan (Comment 70) : From what he’s saying it looks like the Stormers are saying that they are not interested rather than not able to get him.
Sort of like the Lions saying they were never interested in John Smit.
@Salmonoid (Comment 71) : As you said. 😉
@Culling Song (Comment 38) : Pienaar . . . No.
Lambie and Luke MC YES PLEASE !!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 72) : As you deducted. 😉
@robdylan (Comment 67) : It’s crazy how quickly it goes. Wow 6, has she started BIG school yet?
@waje (Comment 10)I agree totally, the management team is to blame for letting butch James ,Pienaar, frans Steyn and johann Muller go, and don’t give me that bull that they went for the money this is where they belong!! now we are left with mediocre players who are not up to super 15 standards and what do we do? we go berserk when they loose.
well thats good news i’ll rather have him for the sharks than any other team
@lostfish (Comment 66) : 😯
no
gee time is flying to fast
well i a couple of months she’ll be walking talking and giving a hard time but enjoy my friend
All the reports I read about Pienaar are that he is not going to the Stormers.. None say for certain that he is not looking at other options in SA.. Will he pop up in Durbs perhaps for a couple of #SupeRugby games pre World Cup..
Personally think that its better for him to get some rest and then get some 3N game time later in the year..