It wasn’t quite the longest goodbye in Irish rugby but news of Ruan Pienaar’s exit from Irish rugby caused a lot of consternation among Ulster fans for a spell.
The IRFU’s succession policy meant that there was no room at the Ravenhill inn for one of the provinces greatest imports when his contract expired, after seven years, at the end of last season.
The level of despair ranged from disaster to doomsday. A tad exaggerated but there was no denying that the South African scrum-half would be difficult to replace.
When Ulster produced their best rugby, he was undoubtedly the fulcrum, and sometimes it seemed as if he was winning games by himself.
But, according to Rory Best, the void left by the popular Springbok after his move to Montpellier, has quickly been filled, as it always is when someone departs.
"It’s the same every year when somebody goes," 35-year-old Best told RTÉ Sport at the launch of the Champions Cup season.
"It happened to be Ruan last season and they go, ‘Oh, you’ll not be able to replace him’.
"When Stevie [Ferris] retired, when Johann [Muller] retired, you finds ways.
"This is why old people like me hang on for as long you can because you know as soon as you go out the door for the last time everyone will go, ‘Oh, you’ll not replace him’ but like that, he’s replaced.
"We’re not saying we’re replacing [exactly what Ruan brought].
"But then we’ve signed in [scrum-half] John Cooney (above) as well, who has had a lot of potential but maybe hasn’t had a good run of it.
"He’s come into us and he’s had a good run of it. He has a fresh approach and he’s been really impressive with his attitude.
"That in turn has brought along the likes of Paul Marshall and Dave Shanahan, who now, instead of it being ‘Ruan Pienaar [always starts]’ unless he breaks both legs, to look, there’s an opportunity here for everyone."
The Ulster and Ireland skipper was also able to point to what five-month loan signing Christian Lealiifano has brought to the fold.
He said of the 19-cap Australia international: "He’s been a really good influence in terms of the maturity that he’s brought around the place when we have a lot of young guys and it’s just about channelling them into the right direction.
"He’s just been a really good addition to us."
Time will tell how much they miss Pienaar but with a loss to Zebre under their belts, they will have to refocus for upcoming clashes with Connacht in the Pro14 and Champions Cup ties against Wasps and La Rochelle, a game that the hamstrung Best hopes to return for.
Listen to live coverage of Leinster v Munster, Saturday, RTÉ Radio 1, from 2pm
