The Heineken Cup Final, to be played later today at Twickenham, will be Pedrie Wannenburg’s last game for Ulster, as reported on this site yesterday.
Pedrie Wannenburg will be looking to end his Ulster career on a high by helping his team to lift the Heineken Cup trophy. Should this happen, Wannenburg will join an exclusive club of players who have won both the southern and northern hemispheres premier club competitions. Currently the total membership of this club stands at two.
ercrugby.com
A Springbok double act propelled Ulster into the 2012 Heineken Cup Final, and now Pedrie Wannenburg is just one win away from adding his name to the shortest of short honours lists.
Ulster Rugby beat Edinburgh Rugby 22-19 in the semi-finals with No8 Wannenburg scoring their only try and scrum-half and man of the match Ruan Pienaar producing an immaculate six from six with the boot to collect 17 points.
Rod Kafer and Doug Howlett are the only members of the elite northern and southern hemisphere double winners club but an Ulster victory against defending champions Leinster Rugby at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday would see Wannenburg swell that elite group to three.
Kafer was first to do the club rugby double, the Wallaby centre winning the then Super 12 title with the ACT Brumbies in 2001 and adding the Heineken Cup winners medal to his collection with Leicester Tigers in 2002.
Howlett doubled the club membership in 2008 when the All Blacks wing helped Munster Rugby to their second Heineken Cup, after winning a Super 14 title with Auckland Blues in 2003.
Now Wannenburg, capped 20 times by South Africa and a Super 14 winner with the Blue Bulls in 2007, 2009 and 2010, has helped Ulster Rugby into the all-Irish final.
The Heineken Cup final will be Pedrie’s last outing before he takes up a contract in France and he is determined to sign-off in style with Ulster, the 1999 champions of Europe, who are through to only their second final appearance.
“I am chasing one of my dreams. This is one of my dreams, to win a Heineken Cup final,” said Wannenburg.
“I was fortunate to win a couple of Currie Cups and a couple of Super 14s and for sure this is right up there in my career.
“I am really looking forward to the final against Leinster. It is an amazing feeling for us. Guys have waited 13 years for this opportunity and we are the lucky ones who are going to the final.
“We have a great squad with a nice blend of youth and experience and we have so much to look forward to with this Heineken Cup Final.
“I always wanted to play in the Heineken Cup – the Pool stages were super – but now we are through to the final with everything to play for.
“The semi-final is probably the worst game you can ever play and the pressure was on us to make a final. Edinburgh were underdogs coming into it and we knew it would be a tough game.
“In a final, any team can win. We are there now and we can go and play. We will be much better than we were in Dublin against Edinburgh.
“Leinster beat us in both our Pro12 matches this season and they are obviously a very good side. It’s going to be hard and fast and our kicking will have to be up to standard – it’s going to be a very tough match for us.”
“Winning the Super 14 the first time was quite fantastic – to be the first South African side to win the title was a real honour,” added Wannenburg, whose 2007 Super 14 success against the Sharks came against a pair of players who are now his Ulster team-mates – Ulster captain and lock Johann Muller and Pienaar – in the first all-South African final.
“It was a very tough game that could easily have gone either way and, while it was tough for the Sharks players, we were delighted to win it at the death.
“The Heineken Cup is a really interesting and hard competition and it was really good playing against French, English and Italian teams this season.
“The Heineken Cup and the Super 14 are very close in physicality, the Heineken Cup is certainly right up there in that respect.”