Wannenburg reluctantly prepares to say goodbye

Ulster still have an amount of considerably important business to see to this season but the annual round of farewells that is a part of life at all clubs begins tonight with Leinster’s visit to Ravenhill.

The manner in which coach Brian McLaughlin has been asked to step aside and into a role with the province’s academy is well-known by now but Pedrie Wannenburg’s departure from Belfast is yet another example of the harsh realities of modern professional sport.

The South African has been less heralded than his countrymen Johann Muller and Ruan Pienaar since his arrival in Ireland but his input in the second row has not been underestimated by those who have watched him over the last two years.

Wannenburg’s love of Belfast is obvious. He got married there and his daughter was born in the city but Ulster’s recapture of local boy Roger Wilson from Northampton meant there was no new offer for Wannenburg.

With the IRFU pushing for fewer overseas players and more indigenous talent, it was a no-brainer for David Humphries, the province’s director of rugby, so Wannenburg and family will make the move to Castres next season.

“I want to remember my last game at Ravenhill for the right reasons,” said the former Springbok. “We’ve got a team where everybody is positive. This will be Brian’s last home game in charge, too, so everybody wants to finish well for him.

“But if you focus on things off the pitch rather than on it, that will not be what is best for the team. So it’s about going out and performing rather than worrying about any of this other stuff.”

There is an even greater-than-usual need for Wannenburg’s input against the table-toppers and fellow Heineken Cup semi-finalists this evening given Stephen Ferris has been handed the night off to rest his ankle.

Rory Best and Dan Tuohy also have a weekend pass while the most interesting selection is that of young Paddy Jackson at No 10.

McLaughlin has made nine personnel changes, and two positional, to the side which lost to Connacht last week as he balances the need to move into the RaboDirect play-off spots with the obvious desire to keep everyone fit and fresh ahead of next week’s Aviva clash with Edinburgh.

Leinster’s strength in depth has been highlighted yet again by the 13 changes Joe Schmidt has made to the XV which started last week’s trimming of Edinburgh at the RDS. The pack is entirely new, meaning only Dave Kearney and Fergus McFadden remain in situ.

Isa Nacewa, Gordon D’Arcy and Jamie Heaslip have all been excused duty entirely but, that trio aside, this is Leinster’s strongest side and one that is buttressed by the usual sprinkling of senior internationals and impressive up-and-comers on the bench.

The European champions are already assured of home venue in their RaboDirect Pro12 semi-final — and final, should they get that far — but they have the added incentive tonight of becoming the first Irish side to win all six of their inter-provincial league meetings in one season. They should do it, too.

ULSTER: S Terblanche; A Trimble, D Cave, P Wallace, C Gilroy; P Jackson, R Pienaar; T Court, N Brady, D Fitzpatrick, J Muller, L Stevenson, C Henry, W Faloon, P Wannenburg.

LEINSTER: R Kearney; D Kearney, B O’Driscoll, F McFadden, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, E Reddan; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross; L Cullen, B Thorn; K McLaughlin, D Ryan, S O’Brien.