Neal Collins RUGBY South Africa’s hopes of installing Francois Pienaar as Springbok coach in place of the under-pressure Nick Mallett have been dealt a potentially devastating blow. Pienaar’s club Saracens have announced they have agreed a lucrative five-year deal with the former Springbok captain which will tie him to the premiership’s most ambitious club until 2005. With Mallett facing two apparently hopeless TriNations games against New Zealand and Australia, the clamour for Pienaar to return home is likely to grow to a climax over the next month – but Pienaar, apparently happily settled in London, insists: “My position is at Saracens for the next five years. I came here as a player at first but since then I have developed a real attachment to the club. “There is now a wonderful opportunity to take the club on to the next stage and establish Sarries as a force in England – and Europe. “A lot of people in South Africa want me back to coach the Springboks which is very flattering – but it’s all hypothetical and I don’t comment on hypothetical situations.”
Pienaar’s new job title at Sarries has not yet been agreed. But last week he announced his retirement as a player after three years as a loose-forward for Saracens. And Nigel Wray, the club’s millionaire backer, immediately offered Pienaar a new role and a new contract which “will be signed very soon”. Wray wants Pienaar to be his Alex Ferguson as he tries to turn Sarries into “the Manchester United of English rugby” – and confirmed that Pienaar will be in the dominant “chief executive” role with compatriot Allan Zondagh remaining his director of rugby. Sarries have Tim Horan and Thomas Castaignede on their books this season and their shared ground at Vicarage Road, home of Watford Football Club, is likely to be rugby-dominated this winter as they attempt to close the gap on traditional England club giants Leicester – last year’s champions – and Bath, last year’s runners- up.
Sarries finished fourth in the premiership last season, 14 points adrift of Joel Stransky’s Leicester, who are led by England skipper Martin Johnson.