Update on Johann “Joe” Muller

Isn’t the web wonderful? Thanks to our earlier (and fairly exclusive) coverage of Johann Muller’s expected signing in December we were contacted by our, now, new friends over on Sharksworld,  the blog site for fans of the Natal Sharks and other South African Rugby Union teams.

The Editor of Sharksworld Rob Otto has sent us in his thoughts on the signing of Joe Muller and the possible signing of Ruan Pienarr which you can read below:

Joe will definitely be missed. He’s one of those “quiet grafter” types who gets through an immense amount of work in the set phases and the tight-loose.

Rated as one of the best scrummaging locks in the country – by the tighthead props! Really wouldn’t be surprised if BJ Botha has been singing his praises on that side, because Botha and Muller were a formidable combination on the right hand side of the scrum.

Muller’s biggest obstacle, career-wise, was simply the fact that he’s the same age as Victor Matfield! He plays a completely different game at 5 to the big Bull, but his value is not as “obvious” as Matfield’s – especially to the half-blind massive. He’s not a flashy player, but rather a workhorse.

For 5 seasons, he never missed a game for the Sharks and regularly topped the “most rucks hit” stat. Safe as houses on his lineout ball as well… in short, a superb tight forward who will never let you down and I feel will thrive in the Northern Hemisphere game.

He is a quiet leader – he had the mantle thrust on his shoulders in the Currie Cup a few years ago (Smit was injured) and he didn’t seem to enjoy it. When Smit went to Clermont in 2008, Muller was made regular Sharks captain and appeared to grow into the role – lifting the Currie Cup trophy that year.

You got the feeling, though, that he never really wanted to be the skipper and I don’t think he enjoyed being the captain last year, when Smit was in the side. Joe really had a pretty torrid 2009 all-round… his form dipped in the Super 14 and then he broke his arm in the first game of the Currie Cup. He was rushed back into the team way too soon after that and quite honestly looked jaded and disinterested.

Fans are fickle and I’m afraid the Sharks lot are no different, so there is a pretty strong anti-Muller feeling amongst the “faithful” right now. As with so many others, I think we’ll only realise his true worth once he’s gone. He’s a great team man, an astute thinker and as far as I can tell, an all-round good guy. A brilliant acquisition for Ulster who I’m sure will add a huge amount of value.

His hands tend to let him down in the fast-paced Super 14-style game, but I don’t think that will be as much of an issue up North. Joe is a guy in need if a change and a fresh challenge… he’s pretty much spent nearly ten years in Matfield’s shadow and I think it will be liberating for him to try something else.

Really racking my brain to think of a funny story involving Joe, but nothing comes to mind… he’s a pretty quiet guy!

I could write a book about Ruan – in fact, if you search the Sharksworld archives for his name, you’ll probably find that I have, more or less. He’s a funny bloke, all right – his personality is so completely at odds with his natural talent that I don’t feel he’ll ever really reach his potential.

His father is former Bok fullback Gysie Pienaar, who ended up as the Springbok backline coach in the 90s and also played a coaching role for the Free State Cheetahs. Ruan grew up in Bloemfontein but left for Durban shortly after school and there are rumours that a bust-up between his dad and the Cheetahs management was a big part of the reason.

Ruan is a supremely gifted rugby player and could be absolutely world-class in any backline position. He is quiet and introverted, though and seems to suffer from a virtually pathological lack of self-confidence. He craves continuity and feels that it’s only really at scrumhalf that he can reach his true potential. The rugby establishment at large, though, are determined that he should be either a flyhalf (which does look like his best position) or a fullback (which is where his dad made his name – sentimental bunch!)

Pienaar has a similar problem to Muller in that there’s another player who is just so much better than him blocking his path at national level. Fourie du Preez may not have as much raw talent as Pienaar (that, though, is debatable) but his mental application is just so much better that he is streets ahead in terms of consistency. In an attempt to get Pienaar a more regular spot in the Bok starting team, he was selected at flyhalf in 2008 and seemed to be doing well there, until some goalkicking wobbles against the Lions saw him dropped for Morne Steyn. That ended up completely destroying his fragile confidence once more and right now, he is determined not to play anything other than scrumhalf.

I’m not sure what he’s going to do. I don’t think he’s too unhappy with the Sharks per se (although a lot of players are, so he might be too) but he is very pissed off with the greater SA Rugby establishment, including Bok coach Peter de Villiers.

A move abroad would make sense, but I feel he would only do that if given a cast-iron guarantee that he’d only be played at 9. Whether he’d make it overseas is another story… I have my doubts. One of the tragedies of SA rugby, is Ruan Pienaar. All the talent in the world, but a mind as soft as fromage frais!

I think SA fans in general are pretty concerned about the numbers of players that end up signing overseas and when a young, current Bok squad member like Pienaar, Frans Steyn, Jean de Villiers or Bismarck du Plessis (allegedly going to Toulon) does it, there is a lot of anger.

For the most part, not too many folks would begrudge a guy like Muller, nearing the end of his career, the opportunity to go abroad and earn a tidy sum.

As for Ulster, can’t say they’re really regarded as a strong side, but the average South African fan’s knowledge of rugby outside our borders is generally pretty limited!

More like this:

• Transfer Turmoil
• Pienaar for Ulster?
• PRO12: Ulster 47 Aironi 7 Match Centre.
• PRO12: Ulster squad for Treviso.