New head coach John Plumtree wants the Sharks to play a brand of rugby that they have been renowned for, writes SIMON BORCHARDT.
Plumtree’s appointment was confirmed on Thursday following months of speculation that he would return to Durban for a second stint as head coach.
Plumtree made a successful start to his first stint, in 2008, when he helped secure the Sharks’ first Currie Cup title since 1996, and they lifted the trophy again in 2010. In 2012, the Sharks progressed to the Super Rugby final, having won two playoff matches away from home, and reached the Currie Cup final.
Plumtree left the union by mutual consent in 2013 and had a successful stint as Ireland forwards coach, during which time they won the 2014 Six Nations.
He then returned to New Zealand to take up a position as Hurricanes assistant coach. The Wellington-based franchise reached the final of Super Rugby in 2015 and then lifted the trophy for the first time in 2016. Plumtree then became head coach of the Canes in 2019, guiding the team to the semi-finals.
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Plumtree was appointed All Blacks forwards coach in December 2019, but a home Test series defeat to Ireland in July last year saw him and attack coach Brad Mooar sacked, while head coach Ian Foster survived.
Since then, Plumtree has received several attractive offers from club and national teams, but when the opportunity arose for him to return to his beloved Sharks, it was a no-brainer.
“It’s one of those things you think will never happen,” Plumtree tells SARugbymag.co.za. “It’s not often you have a coach come back to a union or club for a second stint. But I left the Sharks on pretty good terms in 2013 and didn’t burn any bridges, so I guess there’s a lesson in that.
“I could have coached in Japan, which is a bit closer to New Zealand, but Durban is my rugby home and KwaZulu-Natal has always been a very special place for me. I played for the Sharks [from 1988 to 1997] and am still in contact with a lot of my former teammates from the ’90s. I’ve also got lots of other friends in Durban and my wife Lara’s mother lives there.
“Coaching a team in a tough, competitive competition like the URC, and playing in European tournaments, also appealed to me. I had a good conversation with [Sharks owner] Marco Masotti and enjoyed listening to his vision for the franchise. He is very passionate about the Sharks, and that got me excited, too.
“Marco, [Sharks CEO] Ed Coetzee and [director of rugby] Neil Powell all want to win and I’m no different. I’m coming to Durban to win. Kings Park has always been a tough place to come to and win, and I’d like to help make it a fortress again.”
However, Plumtree says he wants the Sharks to win by playing a brand of rugby that “will test the players’ skill-sets and be fun to watch”.
“We’ve got to create our own identity around how we’re going to play the game,” he explains. “It’s not going to be based on how anyone else plays it, but around how we coach the team to play a game that suits the personnel we’ve got.
“When I left the Sharks in 2013 they were playing a brand of rugby that everyone wanted to come watch and I want that to be the case when I leave again one day.
“I know everyone wants to win, and I appreciate that, but I also want the Sharks to play a game of rugby that they have been known for in the past – a pretty expansive game. Handling the ball can be difficult in wet European conditions and in the Durban humidity, but that won’t stop us from playing a high-intensity game.
“I’ve had a couple of conversations with [attack coach] Dave Williams and he’s pretty excited about the prospect of working at the Sharks again. Dave and I will need to work together and talk about where we want to take the Sharks’ game.”
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Plumtree has already begun tackling some Sharks tasks while in New Zealand and says there will be a bedding-in period when he arrives in Durban in July.
“There’s a lot that needs to be done before we start playing rugby next season. There’s a lot of stuff with the environment and culture that I want to change, and I’ll need to connect with the coaches and management. I want to put systems in place that allow us to flourish and grow. There’s also a lot of work to be done in terms of growing the leadership in the team.”
Plumtree expects to work closely with Powell, who will now be able to fully focus on his director of rugby role having taken over from Sean Everitt as head coach late last year.
“My relationship with Neil will be a tight one,” says the 57-year-old. “We’ve all got to be on the same page in terms of the vision for the Sharks – from the people who work in the office to the players. We’re representing the people of KZN and we want to make them proud.
“Neil and I will work together on a lot of things, but we’ve also got different responsibilities, and mine will be to look after the senior players and the URC/Challenge Cup team. Neil will handle the other Sharks teams, including the juniors, and help with the environment.
“Neil has been in the environment for a while now, so I will rely on him to guide me when it comes to that. A collaborative environment will be one of the pillars for the Sharks’ environment and culture.”