The theory went that the two-time World Cup winner would go to Ireland for a couple of seasons and learn everything there was to know about the system here, before bringing it all back to Rassie Erasmus in time for the 2027 World Cup.
We first heard the talk from South Africa and it’s pervaded ever since, but yesterday the man himself laughed as it was put to him directly.
“No,” he said. “I’m signed until 2026.”
Nienaber was speaking before it emerged that Leo Cullen is set to sign a new-two year deal, giving Leinster cohesion and stability and by the sounds of things the South African is fully committed to Leinster for the foreseeable future and is relishing his week-to-week work.
Earlier, while discussing Gus McCarthy’s potential as an Ireland international, Nienaber spoke about international rugby being another level to club.
So, we wondered if he missed working at the coalface.
“Yes, I think one misses that,” he said.
”I must choose my words now nicely. I think it’s two games. Let me start by saying that. International rugby isn’t as creative as club rugby, because you don’t work as long with them.
“You only get them in a week before a Test match. That is normally when regulation nine [World Rugby’s release law] opens. So, you work one week with the players and then you go into a Test match.
“It’s the country that loses. The consequences to your actions are a lot bigger than at club level. Where at club level, if you lose a game, it’s not written in history. If you lose a final, it’s written in history, but if you lose a match, it doesn’t matter what Test match, it’s written in history.
“People will go back and they will be, ‘Ireland played against New Zealand on Friday, November 8’. Whoever wins or loses that Test match, it will be written in history.
“Where if we lose this weekend against the Lions or the Lions lose this weekend against us, it’s not going to be in history.
“So, you miss that. That all-or-nothing aspect of it.
“That’s the one side, but the side that I was keen on was the creativity side of things. Even if you look at, I use it often as an example, quick-tap penalties in the ’22.
“I think it was in club rugby probably two years before an international team were doing it.
“In 2023 against France, we scored the try that won us the game in the quarter-final from a quick-tap penalty. Which is something, if I ask you have you seen that ever with South Africa, ever in your life? No, because it is just not something that you would think of doing. Because there is too much risk.
“Why don’t you just kick out and go for the maul. I think that’s the two things.
“I do miss it in the one sense, but if you ask me, ‘Do you want to go back there now?’
“No, I don’t want to go back there,” he added.
“I like the development that I’m currently, as a coach, experiencing and the stimulus that I’m getting currently at club level.
“That’s why I wanted to leave international [game] from a coach point of view. That’s why I wanted to leave international rugby. To just get exposure again at club level, because it’s different.
“Teams have a crack at you every week, where at international level you will play … When we left in 2018, we didn’t play against Ireland until 2022.
“So your defence never gets tested by an Irish attack, where here you get tested weekly, which is great.”
If Nienaber is enjoying his time at club level, his fellow South African RG Snyman is loving it and Leinster’s senior coach – who has worked with Snyman since he was a teenager – believes the lock is making the most of having more time and space.
“RG is always like this,” he said. “Even with the Boks, but that’s the thing when you compare international versus club.
“I would almost say at club level, there are maybe four guys that can’t stop momentum, in the 15 that is on the pitch. In club level, there is four or maybe five that are good defenders, but they won’t knock you back,” Nienaber said.
“So, there is opportunity for you to create momentum, to create quick ball.
“To maybe get an offload away, but when you play top international sides, there is maybe one. If there is one.
“Everybody is a good defender and can stop momentum, so your opportunity of getting your hands through, maybe get an offload going, isn’t that big there because their defence is just tighter, better. The tacklers are better.
“They are more tuned in, blocking the offload. It is just a little bit different than club. I’m not talking down on club, please don’t say I said club rugby isn’t good enough! It’s just a matter that that’s how it is.
“Every country can pick the best of the best of the best. Where at club sometimes you have a development player coming through who is not at that level yet,” he concluded.
