Departing flyhalf Tinus de Beer is relishing the opportunity to face veteran playmaker Ruan Pienaar and help the Pumas defend their Currie Cup title on Saturday, reports DEVIN HERMANUS.
A standout performer for the Lowvelders during their victorious campaign last year, De Beer will leave the Pumas and head to Wales, where it is understood he will join Vodacom United Rugby Championship club, Cardiff, next season.
The 27-year-old pivot is joint-top scorer (114) in the 2023 Currie Cup with Pienaar before this weekend’s clash against the Free State Cheetahs, and is set to play a key role for the reigning champions in their bid for another fairy-tale finish.
Jimmy Stonehouse has provided a platform for players in Nelspruit to attract the attention of bigger unions, and De Beer thanked the wily coach, while sharing insight into why the Pumas changed their kit at half time.
“To repay the community, repay the players, the coaching staff and Coach Jimmy with another trophy, I think that’s the best way that you can leave,” De Beer told SA Rugby magazine. “Leaving the jersey and the union in a better place than where it was when you got here.
“So ja, all credit to the staff and Coach Jimmy for giving me the opportunity to run things on attack.
PLUS: ‘Easy’ for Pumas skipper to follow Willie
“I’ve had a really special time at the Pumas, and to end it off on a big bang would be an honour and a great achievement for the team. I can’t imagine leaving the Lowveld and the community, all the love they’ve shown… I’ll remember this for years to come.”
He added: “[The jersey tradition] I’ve heard all started when the team was still in Witbank; Coach Jimmy had this thing about starting each half new, so he liked to get the guys into new shorts, shirts and socks, to scrap the first half whether it was good or bad. It’s special.”
On his showdown with Pienaar, who scored 22 points for the Cheetahs against the Vodacom Bulls last week, De Beer said: “Ruan is one of SA rugby’s legends and I have a lot of respect for him as a player, and as a person off the field.
“He’s been around the block so I don’t think I can show him any tricks that he hasn’t mastered himself!
“Ruan’s peak performance against the Bulls was massive. Saying that, very few individuals have won the game for the team in a Currie Cup final, or any final for that matter. It’s about the team.
“There’s a reason I’m also playing this game and I’ve been picked to do a job. So whether it’s through tactical kicking or with ball in hand, or even slotting a last-minute penalty goal, I know what my job is and the responsibility on my shoulders.”
Photo: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images
