Ruan Pienaar is familiar with the threat that Ian Madigan adds to Bordeaux-Begles but is backing fellow Ireland international Paddy Jackson to edge the out-half battle on Sunday.
The duo have played second fiddle behind first-choice Ireland stand-off Johnny Sexton in Joe Schmidt’s squads for the last few years but Madigan’s move to France appears to have left the Ulster man ahead in the pecking order.
In Sexton’s injury-enforced absence, Jackson, 24, started all three Tests against South Africa in the summer, while Madigan had to settle for a place on the bench.
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Ahead of Sunday’s Champions Cup Pool 5 clash (1pm) in France, scrum-half Pienaar said of the 27-year-old: “We’ve played against him a couple of times when he was still with Leinster.
“We know he’s a wonderful player, a good goal-kicker. He’s not scared to take the ball to the line.
“He’s definitely one that we’ll have to look at but they are a good team all over the board and will be a good challenge for us.
“Ian Madigan is an important player for them as is Paddy for us.
“He’s really been a great performer for us, not only for the last couple of games but for the last couple of years.
"So it’s a big challenge for both of them to come up against each other, but hopefully Jacky will perform well for us at the weekend.”
