Going into his second season in cost, John Plumtree says his bolstered Sharks facet are much more settled than when he first arrived again in Durban final 12 months. DYLAN JACK studies.
With most of their Springboks on the World Cup, the Sharks endured an terrible two-win Vodacom URC marketing campaign within the 2023-24 season, following up a five-loss begin with a mid-season stoop of eight defeats.
Because the Sharks’ hopes of securing a URC playoff had been already in tatters by March, Plumtree properly opted to commit full focus to the Problem Cup, successful the match and securing an alternate path to the top-tier Champions Cup.
Throughout the low season, the Sharks have considerably strengthened their squad, with Siya Kolisi’s return headlining a spree that features Springboks Andre Esterhuizen, Trevor Nyakane, Jason Jenkins, Jordan Hendrikse, Ruan Dreyer and bulldozing flank Emmanuel Tshituka.
Throughout a Vodacom URC Media Spherical Desk, Plumtree says the Sharks are a much more settled unit than when he first returned to Kings Park.
“Final 12 months was my first 12 months again. I had a brand new teaching group that hadn’t labored collectively, with a squad that I inherited. I didn’t know anybody,” Plumtree defined.
“This 12 months is kind of totally different. Loads of relationships have been constructed. The coaches are in place when it comes to what I count on from them, and I’ve discovered from them as properly. We’re a cheerful teaching group.
“It’s the identical with the gamers. I belief the gamers that I’ve received now. Hopefully they belief me. It’s a special ball sport for us now.
“We let ourselves down within the URC final 12 months, however we focused the Problem Cup and we had success in that after I received a full-strength facet again. Irrespective of how robust your squad is, it’s all the time a problem to do properly in each competitions.
“It’s about your squad’s power, not your internationals. We really feel like we’ve recruited properly and strengthened some areas that we struggled with final 12 months. We’re only a happier bunch now, which makes life simpler.”
The Sharks will get their URC marketing campaign underway towards Connacht in Galway on 28 September, after their spherical one fixture towards the Lions in Durban was postponed to later within the season, on account of it clashing with the Currie Cup last.
Plumtree expressed his frustration with the choice, saying the Sharks had been more than pleased to play each video games on 21 September in the event that they progressed to the Currie Cup last.
“That fixture’s now been shifted to a later date. You do your planning with the Springbok resting, and now it’s been shifted. The organisers have simply received to be higher than this,” Plumtree stated.
“If we’re going to play a Currie Cup by the winter months after which it impacts on the URC, it might probably’t impression our planning. So they have to get higher organised. We spend a variety of time planning and now post-Christmas we’ve received one other sport added to the calendar.
“If we reached the Currie Cup last, we had been more than pleased to play it and the URC sport. We might’ve simply performed a youthful group within the Currie Cup last. I feel that’s what everybody was glad to do.”
Picture: Steve Haag/Gallo Photographs
