The Ruan Pienaar conundrum.

First topic message reminder :

Ruan Pienaar has been playing professional rugby since 2004 and has run out for the sharks in 57 super rugby matches and 51 times times for the Springboks.

After leaving for Ulster in 2010 he has become the darling of an Ulster team who seems to have become very reliant on his kicking boot. Ruan Pienaar has always been a confidence player and in my opinion often been omitted from a springbok team in favour of more conservative and controlling players who are perhaps more consitent than him, but yet less creative. Players such as Fourie du Preez at scrumhalf and Butch James and Morne Steyn at flyhalf was always deemed more dependable in the last few years of Pieter de villier's reign and perhaps the catalyst that made him look at greener pastures across the sea.

The question now is this. Fourie du Preez may not come back, and even if he did, he is no longer the player he once was before his shoulder injury, Morne Steyn for all intent and purposes is only a kicking machine and looking at the consistent accuracy of Ruan Pienaar, is Morne Steyn still that vital when looking for a goal kicker?

Ruan Pienaar can play 9 and 10 equally well and when looking at taking Morne steyn out of the equation it opens up all kinds of possibilities for a more adventurous springbok backline if he isn't there.

Just a thought, most likely just a pipe dream of mine.

Arriving late to this one but as Geoff says he is a 9 not a 10 and he has the best pass I have ever seen. Perfect scrum half imo