Will we ever see the same Ruan as that icy cold day in Bloemfontein?

FORMER Springbok coach Peter de Villiers once referred to Ruan Pienaar as “the Tiger Woods of rugby”.

And in 2009, when I went to watch the Springboks play the All Blacks in Bloemfontein, I sort of understood De Villiers’s thinking when Pienaar started the match in the No 10 jersey.

For about 25 minutes on that icy cold July day in central South Africa, Pienaar conducted the Springbok orchestra like a maestro. He moved the All Blacks across the park with his educated boot, and made space for his backs with his vision and crisp distri- bution. He also scored a wonderful try because of his anticipation and great support play.

But he missed a few kicks at goal, and soon the crowd at the Free State Stadium were chanting “Morné Steyn! Morné Steyn! Morné Steyn! Pienaar’s allround brilliance was being overlooked for the goal-kicking comforts of Steyn, who a few weeks earlier had kicked the Boks to a series-clinching victory over the British Lions.

As fate would have it, the prayers of the Bloem crowd were answered when Pienaar went off injured 30 minutes into the match. But that halfan-hour still sticks in my mind as one of my favourite experiences as a spectator.

Like Woods, Pienaar was at the peak of his powers in the mid to late 2000s. And, just like Woods, he hasn’t quite found the magic that prompted De Villiers to make that comparison.

Fans of Woods have been left frustrated over the last few years, because it seems like his wizardry on a golf course, and that marvellous aura of invincibility also divorced him. And, while his wife took his money, the magic and the aura took away his confidence and his self-belief.

Woods’ uncertainty when he stands over the ball is there for all to see. But yet we have also seen those brief moments of magic, like when he hit a 5-wood out of the thick rough on to an unsighted green at the Quicken Loans National a few weeks ago. It’s clear that the old Tiger is lurking somewhere inside his soul.

The same goes for Pienaar, who doesn’t look the outrageously talented rugby player at the moment.

These days, Pienaar seems to doubt himself behind the scrum, and doesn’t have the same feel for the game. For a player as gifted as Pienaar, this normally comes naturally. But he seems to have made a wrong turn somewhere.

There seems to be a bit of a mental block, which is hindering him to perform at his best, and to make the right decisions at the right time. That’s maybe why he takes a bit longer to feed his backs or to launch a box kick from the base of a scrum or ruck.

But he also doesn’t ask questions of the opposition around the fringes anymore, and he is becoming a tad predictable.

But, we have also seen some moments of brilliance over the last two years, with his break around the scrum against Argentina leading to a try at a wet Loftus last year, while he floated a lovely ball over the top for Bryan Habana to score and help the Boks overcome the Pumas in Buenos Aires last Saturday.

However, the negative issues are seriously hindering the Boks’ attack leading up to the World Cup.

A great example of what quick decision-making can do to your attack is All Black scrumhalf Aaron Smith, who is by far the best No 9 in the world. He almost knows what he is going to do next with the ball before he picks it up, and he is always on the prowl for that little break around the breakdown.

Pienaar has the talent to be faster and more decisive at the breakdown, and vision to spot a weakness in the opposition defence. He will probably have to stand back for a fit Fourie du Preez at the World Cup, but he needs to recapture that magic that made him such a special player once upon a time. It’s time for Pienaar to take the 5wood in the rough and look for the green.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

@15Jouba (André Joubert): Time to apply mind & skill before brawn! Create & attack space, avoid unnecessary contact!

WHO TO FOLLOW

@Skara2Ntubeni: The hooker is back to bolster WP’s Currie Cup chances.

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