Pienaar kicks Ulster’s import critics to touch
ULSTER scrum-half Ruan Pienaar insists the Heineken Cup final underdogs are not reliant on him and his fellow South African imports as they prepare to collide with Leinster in tomorrow’s historic all-Irish European showdown.
World Cup winner Pienaar’s lethal kicking has propelled Ulster to the frontier of a monumental triumph, not least in last month’s narrow semi-final victory over Edinburgh when his boot delivered 17 of his side’s 22 points.
Another Springbok, hulking lock Johann Muller, will lead them into battle at Twickenham against a celebrated Leinster side set to include Jonny Sexton, Rob Kearney and, fitness permitting, Brian O’Driscoll.
But Pienaar, whose heroics have earned him a place alongside fly-half Sexton and full-back Kearney on the ERC European player of the season shortlist, denies 1999 winners Ulster are reliant on their imports.
“I have never heard anyone say that,” said the 28-year-old, who was part of the South Africa squad that beat England to the 2007 World Cup in France. “It takes 23 players in a squad on any given day to do something special.
“Everyone, from the management right down to the individual players, has worked very hard to get here. You can’t single anyone out. And anyway, we are well aware that we haven’t achieved anything yet. We still have a lot of hard work to do.”
Leinster are the overwhelming favourites to win the first Heineken Cup final to be contested by two Irish provinces and claim the trophy for an unprecedented third time in four years. They are also looking to become the first team to win the competition without losing a game, yet decorated Toulouse coach Guy Noves has issued a warning, saying Ulster’s progress is no fluke and they should not be underestimated.
“It seems to me that Ulster are a province that have really redoubled their efforts and I think last season they had already started to change direction,” Noves added.
“I think they’ve made huge progress and wanted to become a major Irish province, contrary to previous years when, from my view from the outside, they seemed like the poor relation of Munster and Leinster.
“We knew that it was always difficult to play them at their ground but they were still a team that didn’t seem complete in every sector.
“They’re not there by chance. The results they got in the pool stages maybe surprised people who weren’t expecting it. But they’ve backed them up to become one of the best teams in Europe, without question.”
ROAD TO THE FINAL
Leinster Rugby
■ Pool stage
Montpellier 16 – 16 Leinster
Leinster 38 – 13 Glasgow
Bath 13 – 18 Leinster
Leinster 52 – 27 Bath
Glasgow 16 – 23 Leinster
Leinster 25 – 3 Montpellier
■ Quarter-final
Leinster 34-3 Cardiff Blues
■ Semi-final
Clermont Auvergne 15-19 Leinster
Ulster Rugby
■ Pool stage
Ulster 16 – 11 Clermont Auvergne
Leicester 20 – 9 Ulster
Ulster 31 – 10 Aironi
Aironi 20 – 46 Ulster
Ulster 41 – 7 Leicester
ASM Clermont 19 – 15 Ulster
■ Quarter-final
Munster 16-22 Ulster
■ Semi-final
Ulster 22-19 Edinburgh