Rugby: Springboks spoilt for choice

Springboks five-eighth Ruan Pienaar is fit to take on the Wallabies on Sunday. Photo / Getty Images

CAPE TOWN - Springboks five-eighth Ruan Pienaar has declared himself fit to tackle the Wallabies on Sunday (NZT), giving coach Peter De Villiers a selection headache ahead of the crucial Tri-Nations rugby test at Newlands.

De Villiers was scheduled to name his team later today and it would come as quite a shock to the Wallabies if he opted for Pienaar over the in-form Morne Steyn, whose deadly goalkicking has been the highlight of South Africa's fabulous start to the international season.

In a spectacular entrance to test rugby, Steyn has missed just two shots at goal and played a succession of starring roles since debuting against the British and Lions in June.

He seemingly cemented his place in the Boks' starting line-up when he scored all 31 points in a record-breaking display in Sunday's triumph over the All Blacks in Durban.

Most expert pundits believe Steyn is the perfect fit for South Africa's suffocating style of play based on unrelenting pressure which forces the opposition into committing errors and conceding penalties in goalkicking range.

But if any coach in world rugby is capable of shock tactics it is the eccentric De Villiers, whose odd off-field behaviour, not so much in his second season at the helm, has tended to deflect the focus from anything the Springboks achieve on the field.

It remains likely, though, that Pienaar - who was forced off with an ankle injury at halftime in the first of South Africa's back-to-back wins over New Zealand in Bloemfontein two weeks ago - will make his comeback via the bench.

The Wallabies certainly seem to think so, with all the talk out of their camp this week indicating they were focusing on being ultra-disciplined on Saturday in order to avoid suffering the same fate as the All Blacks when Steyn nailed eight penalty goals at ABSA Stadium.

Regardless of who he picks to wear the No 10 jumper, De Villiers is looking for improvement from his Springboks, despite the side being the first South African line-up in 33 years to post test wins over the All Blacks on successive weekends.

"We weren't totally clinical," De Villiers said of his side's performance in Durban.

"There is room for improvement."

- AAP