Plumtree: Boks make all the difference

John Plumtree underlined the value of Springbok players in a full-strength Sharks side that clinched back-to-back wins over Vodacom URC title-winning teams.

After starting the season 1-2, the Durban outfit beat 2022-23 champions Munster 41-24 at Kings Park on Saturday to follow last week’s win over title-holders Glasgow Warriors. This demonstrates the impact for the Sharks of returning Springboks such as skipper Eben Etzebeth and fellow two-time world champion Siya Kolisi.

Speaking in a post-match conference, Plumtree was frank when discussing the significance of fielding his Bok stars: “You’re saying they’re Springboks, but they’re Sharks, you know. [If] they’re not available, we can’t go get another 10 Springboks to help us out if we’re overseas.” 

Plumtree noted that the Sharks can compete with the best teams, but the reality of domestic scheduling and international duties means the team is often without key players.

“Leinster have had their strongest team for how many weeks? We haven’t. I think everyone needs to cut us a little bit of slack,” he added.

“The challenges just keep coming, and then we’ve got Springbok resting as well, so there’s a lot to deal with in this club. 

ALSO READ: Willemse out of Boks’ UK tour, Hanekom called up — report

“Yes, I want to win all the time but the reality is that we’re not going be a full-strength Sharks side all the time and we can win without the Boks, but it’s hard to win without all of them.”

The Sharks’ offence shone against Munster, with Jordan Hendrikse delivering a flawless seven-from-seven off the kicking tee, contributing 16 points to a performance that included six tries for the hosts. 

“Last week we sort of relied on those [Bok] relationships and combinations to get us over the line, and this week… we had a really good week and built the week up nicely to come up with a good performance,” Plumtree said. 

Lapses late on again

He acknowledged the Sharks’ defensive lapses late on, allowing Munster two tries in the final 10 minutes – a repeat of last week’s lapse against Glasgow.

“It’s not ideal; we didn’t want to concede at the end, but credit to the opposition,” Plumtree noted.

“It’s how we got into that situation that bothers me the most, conceding a penalty and allowing them to kick for the corner.”

As the Sharks head into a four-week break before hosting the DHL Stormers on 30 November, Plumtree is focused on recharging the squad for the next phase of the season. 

“We’ve had seven big games, including the semi-final and final of the Currie Cup, then a three-match tour and two games at home. Everyone is feeling a little exhausted and everyone will enjoy a bit of a break now,” he said.

“We look forward to another big home game against the Stormers, but there’s a lot of work to do before then.”

This article was first published on sarugbymag.co.za. It is republished here with permission.