Pienaar has had a tremendous season with Ulster since joining the Irish province from the Sharks in Durban. From the outset when he scored all of Ulster’s 19 points on his debut against Glasgow, he has flourished at scrum half.
He’s already put the boot into Welsh opposition twice this season so Gatland and co will be fully aware discipline will be paramount when the Baa-Baas come to town.
With Ulster staring down the barrel of defeat at the Scarlets, the talented utility back banged over a long range penalty with the final kick of the game to win the match 18-16.
If that wasn’t enough, Pienaar also came to the rescue when he snapped over a drop goal in the dying seconds against the Dragons to edge his side home 25-23 at Ravenhill.
Pienaar has helped Ulster to the brink of a Magners League semi-final place, with Brian McLaughlin’s men needing just a losing bonus point from their last game against, ironically, the Dragons at Rodney Parade on Friday night to make the last four.
Pienaar’s inclusion in the Magners League Dream Team for 2010/11 is a just reward for his stunning form this season and in doing so, he becomes just the third Ulster player to make the team of the season since its inception in 2006/07.
Five Welsh-based players made the Magners Dream Team with the Blues New Zealand centre Casey Laulala joining fellow midfielder Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), second row Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys) and flanker Sam Warburton who are who likely to feature prominently in Gatland’s plans while Scarlets prop Iestyn Thomas gave the selectors another nudge with his inclusion in the line-up.
Magners League Dream Team 2010/2011
15 I Nacewa (Leinster)
14 F Carr (Connacht)
13 C Laulala (Cardiff Blues)
12 J Davies (Scarlets)
11 T Visser (Edinburgh)
10 R O’Gara (Munster)
9 R Pienaar (Ulster);
1 I Thomas (Scarlets)
2 R Strauss (Leinster)
3 M Ross (Leinster)
4 A Wyn Jones (Ospreys)
5 R Gray (Glasgow Warriors)
6 S O’Brien (Leinster)
7 S Warburton (Cardiff Blues)
8 J Heaslip (Leinster)
Tickets remaining for Wales v The Barbarians on Saturday 4 June at the Millennium Stadium (KO 2.30pm) are priced at £40 and £30 for adults, £100 for a family ticket (2 adults 2 children) with a new category introduced this season of £15 for the under 18s enclosure.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.wru.co.uk/tickets by calling the ticket hotlines08442 777 888or 02920 230130, and to personal callers at the Cardiff Arms Cafe / Store, 8 Westgate Street, Cardiff and Ticketline, 47 Westgate Street, Cardiff
