Pienaar’s return huge Ulster boost

Springbok Ruan Pienaar is back and primed to help guide Ulster through their difficult Heineken Cup quarter-final shoot-out with Saracens at Ravenhill tomorrow (6.30pm).

The World-Cup winner returns at scrum-half after missing the last two games with a shoulder injury. He partners Ireland’s Paddy Jackson at half-back in a team that can boost 13 full internationals. However, there is no place for Stephen Ferris, who has had only three run-outs since a 16-month lay-off, but he will guarantee ~Ulster a bit of bish-bash from the bench.

Full-back Jared Payne is the only non-international in the backline, a moot point once he qualified for Ireland next September, Tommy Bowe and Andrew Trimble on the wings with Luke Marshall and Darren Cave filling the midfield.