Pienaar out as Ulster injury hex strikes

Ulster and South African scrum-half Ruan Pienaar is suspected of rupturing the medial ligament in his right knee during the narrow Rugby Championship defeat against the All Blacks at the weekend.

The 79-times capped Springbok veteran was carried off in the 36th minute in agony and underwent a scan yesterday, with the results expected later today.

Pienaar looks certain to miss Ulster’s first two European Rugby Championship Cup games against the Tigers and Toulon at the end of October, and could be out until the back-to-back games against Scarlets in December.