Pienaar exits as Saracens slide into anonymity

It is just about possible for a single player to be as big as the game he plays, as Francois Pienaar demonstrated in leading South Africa to World Cup glory in 1995, but no one – not even Pienaar – is bigger than the sporting balance sheet. Saracens' back-to-back quarter-final defeats in the Powergen Cup and Parker Pen Shield, followed by a humiliating defeat to Leicester last weekend that dumped them firmly in the bottom half of the Premiership, proved too much for the former Springbok captain, who announced his resignation as the chief executive and head coach yesterday.

Pienaar will leave the Watford-based club at the end of the season, having failed to buy tangible success with the millions granted him by Nigel Wray, the enthusiastic but increasingly frustrated Saracens owner. His departure will mark the end of one of the more extraordinary chapters in professional club rugby: the manufacturing of a swanky, top-of-the-range élite outfit from the ashes of an earthy, bottom-of-the-range team of amateurs. Michael Lynagh and Philippe Sella, the other international attractions at the heart of the transformation, disappeared some years ago. Pienaar is about to follow them into the shadows.

There was no indication yesterday as to Pienaar's future plans. He may return to South Africa: the Springboks will name a new coach, probably Rudi Straeuli of Natal, over the next week or so, and the ambitious Pienaar may sense some sort of managerial opportunity in his homeland. By the same yardstick, there would be no shortage of gainful employment in England, especially if Philippe Saint-Andre should bite the bullet he has been loading since before Christmas and walk out on Gloucester.

"While Saracens have continued to grow in many areas, this progress has not been matched by results on the field," Pienaar said in his resignation statement. "There are many reasons for this situation, some of them unavoidable, but as chief executive and coach, I have to take full responsibility. It has recently become apparent to me that the team needs a fresh face and a new voice."

If the "unavoidable" forces behind Saracens' slide into anonymity have been cruel – Pienaar has been battling with a vicious casualty list for the best part of two seasons, and has not received the slightest return on his investment in the brilliant French back Thomas Castaignède, who has been injured for 16 months – some questions of judgement have been levelled at him. A number of international players, including the England tight forwards Danny Grewcock and Julian White, left the club last summer, and another Test regular, Scott Murray of Scotland, has been talking publicly about moving on. The vibes have not been good.

Earlier in the season, Pienaar insisted the big-name departures were as much his idea as theirs: he claimed international players were more trouble than they were worth, both in terms of wages and in the amount of time they spent away from the club on Test duty. However, his policy of fast-tracking gifted youngsters from the excellent Saracens academy has not paid dividends in Premiership rugby, where idealistic policies count for rather less than results.

Wray, a loyal supporter of Pienaar, was generous in his praise. "Francois has demonstrated huge commitment and passion for Saracens over the past five and a half years," he said. "It has been an immense frustration for him, and for the club, that his great efforts have not been rewarded with more success on the field. For several weeks, Francois and I have been talking about what the club needed and he believes a change is required to take the side forward. He will help co-ordinate the search for a new coach to ensure a smooth and seamless transition."

However smooth the process, Saracens are unlikely to make the cut for a Heineken Cup place next season. Their problems will only increase.