Latest news with #Plumtree
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Plumtree says Sharks will win ugly if they have to
"Without being horrible, we are not out here to entertain anyone. We are here to win a game of rugby and just keep progressing. If we have to win ugly, then so be it." Sharks head coach John Plumtree believes discipline will be key against Munster, who are known to perform well in away knockout games. Picture: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images Sharks head coach John Plumtree said his side will prioritise getting across the line over playing attractive rugby as they take on Munster in their United Rugby Championship quarter-final at Kings Park on Saturday (kick-off 6.30pm). The match tees off just an hour earlier than their game against Scarlets did two weeks ago, which saw chances spilled on either side and the scoreline end a meagre 12–3 to the Durban hosts. But getting the win was all that mattered to the Sharks, who slotted all four penalty chances to claim momentum. Plumtree said the groundsman was doing his best to ensure there would not be as much dew that led to the mistakes that night, but discipline would be key again as they hoped to win their first URC quarter-final. Sharks not out to entertain 'Without being horrible, we are not out here to entertain anyone. We are here to win a game of rugby and just keep progressing. If we have to win ugly, then so be it,' the Sharks coach said. 'There's enough pressure on the team without me going out there and saying we have to score more tries. We have to get the job done, however that looks. 'We've set the team some goals around what we are trying to achieve, and none of them are around scoring 20 or 30 points, trust me on that.' He said to ensure the victory they would need to compete well in set-pieces, defend well and take whatever opportunities they could create. 'But whatever we dish up we just want to be as accurate as possible. Our skillsets, when the ball is a little wet and there is pressure from the opposition, are always going to be slightly compromised. 'However, if we do get the territory that we want and we get the possession that we want, the fast ball that we want, we want to be able to nail some of those moments. We want to be on top of the scoreboard but there are other parts of the game that we need to dominate to finish on top.' The Sharks are no strangers to tight wins. They have won by fewer than seven points in eight of their 13 victories in the URC. Munster will be motivated with the departure of stalwarts Plumtree said he respected Munster as a proud team that can win away knockout games, as they did in all three play-offs that were away from home when they took the 2022/23 title. Now, with Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray and Stephen Archer leaving in the coming months, Plumtree knew they would be motivated to provide a strong send-off. 'I know them personally and they've played 700 games for their province. That's the fuel that will drive Munster. Ultimately, it will come down to the side that wants it the most and I guess takes those opportunities.'
IOL News
3 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
'It's all about the win,' says Sharks coach Plumtree ahead of URC playoff against Munster
John Plumtree Sharks coach John Plumtree, seen here with Jordan Hendrikse who is making a return to the No 10 jumper for the URC quarter-final clash against Munster. | Steve Haag Sports The Sharks have come in for some stick for their unattractive approach to winning United Rugby Championship (URC) matches but coach John Plumtree has made it clear that their aim is to win games rather than prizes for good fellowship. He has a point because the Sharks have risen from a 14th place finish last year to third this season and have earned the luxury of a home quarter-final against Munster on Saturday. The Sharks are the only side in the top eight of the URC to have conceded more tries than they scored, yet they have shown enormous grit to grind out wins. Plumtree was asked if the quarter-finals are the time for his team to pull the trigger on their attacking game and win in style. 'We are not out here to entertain anyone,' Plumtree said. 'We are here to progress as a team and win matches. If that means win ugly, so be it.' In the Sharks' last game, they beat the Scarlets 12-3, with no tries scored, but Plumtree is unconcerned about outside pressure to up the try tally. 'There is enough pressure on the team without going into the change rooms and demanding more tries,' he said. 'We will get the job done, however that looks. 'We have set the team some goals around what we want to achieve. None of them are based on scoring 20 or 30 points, I can promise you that. We strive to win games of rugby, no matter how that gets done. We want our set piece to dominate and defence to function.' There has been zero problem with these aspects — the Sharks have been magnificent on defence and their Springbok-laden pack has been immense in the set scrums. To be fair to the Sharks, in that dour struggle with the Scarlets, the heavy dew made handling difficult. It is a problem at this time of the year in Durban — hot days cool down quickly in the evening and thick dew is the result. 'When the ball is wet along with the pressure from the opposition, it's always going to compromise our skill sets,' he explained. 'But if we get the territory, possession and fast ball we want, we will nail some of those moments. 'A massive part of these contests is keeping the TMO away from making any big calls that affect both teams and the outcome.' The Sharks' attack could well ignite in this match because of the return at outside centre of the skilful Lukhanyo Am, while Jordan Hendrikse replaces the injured Siya Masuku at flyhalf. Springbok captain Siya Kolisi is back at No 8 after a week's vacation. 'It's good to get some guys back, including Siya,' Plumtree said. 'The intensity has been great in our sessions, which is what you would expect with a game like this.' The coach said that Springboks coming into and out of the team over the season because of national duty and resting protocols has been disruptive. 'It has been disjointed, but we haven't let that bother us. Our goal was to put pressure on Glasgow on the log, which meant a good tour and finishing strong at home, and we did that. 'The Scarlets match wasn't the prettiest rugby to watch, but we achieved that goal. We are right where we need to be and are looking forward to the rest of the season.' Plumtree is acquainted with some of the Munster veterans from his time as an assistant coach of Ireland. The Irish side is saying farewell to three of their legends in flank Peter O'Mahony, scrumhalf Conor Evans and prop Steven Archer. 'Munster have a huge fighting spirit and are a very close team. The three guys finishing up have around 600 caps between them,' he said. 'We know what to expect from them but our focus is on playing at home, and progressing in the competition. It's going to come down to who wants it the most and who takes their opportunities on the day.' Sharks team 15 Aphelele Fassi 14 Ethan Hooker 13 Lukhanyo Am 12 Andre Esterhuizen 11 Makazole Mapimpi 10 Jordan Hendrikse 9 Jaden Hendrikse 8 Siya Kolisi 7 Vincent Tshituka 6 James Venter 5 Jason Jenkins, 4 Eben Etzebeth (captain) 3 Vincent Koch 2 Bongi Mbonambi 1 Ox Nche. Bench: 16 Fez Mbatha 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu 18 Hanro Jacobs 19 Emile van Heerden 20 Phepsi Buthelezi, 21 Bradley Davids 22 Francois Venter 23 Yaw Penxe.
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
OPINION: Sharks need to show growth by doing another first in the URC
The Sharks have never progressed past the quarter-finals of the URC and will need to do so to appease their unhappy fan base. The Sharks have an opportunity to silence their critics in the coming weeks. Picture: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images The Sharks won two tournaments but performed dismally in a third last season. They are headed the same way in terms of mixed results now, and while players say they are still in a building phase as a team, they need to prove there is growth. Head coach John Plumtree's first year at the reins in 2023/24 came with a strong showing in the Challenge Cup, where they won seven games, beating Gloucester fairly comfortably 36–22 in the final in London. They also won the Currie Cup through a last-minute, 59m penalty-kick from Jordan Hendrikse against the Lions in Johannesburg (final score 16–14). However, their United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign was abysmal. The Sharks won four games and lost 14, finishing 14th on the table, not coming anywhere close to qualifying for the play-offs. The Durban outfit lost all its local derbies and finished last in the tournament's South African conference. Sharks getting better? Much of the Sharks' success last season was due to the millions spent on bringing high-profile players in, with Plumtree giving direction to a union in need of strong leadership after Sean Everitt's departure and Neil Powell's interim tenure. The Sharks have continued to attract players and were expected to perform better this season. They have certainly done so in the URC. While securing more than half of their victories through seven points or less, they did enough to guarantee themselves a home quarter-final with a game to spare. In the end, they finished the league phase with 13 wins, tallying 62 points, though only 10 were bonus points – tied the fewest in the top eight with Scarlets and fewer than two sides that did not progress to the play-offs. Yet in the process, the Sharks won the SA shield for the first time. It's a season highlight, one the Sharks needed after crashing out of the Champions Cup with one win from four pool games. They dropped into the Challenge Cup but instead of throwing everything at defending this title, Plumtree fielded a second-string side that lost poorly to Lyon in the last 16. Chance for vindication at Kings Park The team have been hampered by injuries this season, but many Springboks should have been picked for the Lyon game. Fans had been scathing in their critiques of the Sharks all season but increasingly flooded the union's social media pages at that point. The squad is just about at full strength now, and they will want to do another first for the club: progress past the URC quarter-finals. They are on a four-game winning streak as they prepare for the knockout Munster at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on Saturday. They will surely silence their critics and prove progress if they even just reach the semis.
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
How the Club World Cup might reshape SA rugby strategies
The URC could take a backseat as South African teams chase a potentially lucrative Club World Cup spot, writes SIMON BORCHARDT. SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer was spot-on when he said the introduction of a Club World Cup will force South African franchises to take the Champions Cup seriously. The Club World Cup, set to occur every four years starting in 2028, will feature 16 teams: Eight from the Champions Cup, seven from Super Rugby Pacific and one from Japan Rugby League One. Had it taken place this season, South African teams would have been absent, having failed to reach the Champions Cup quarter-finals. This was largely because the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers prioritised the URC, a more realistic competition for them to win, while their squad depth was tested by injuries. Since becoming eligible for Europe's top tournament in 2022/23, SA sides have often selected 'B teams' for away matches in the Champions Cup group stage while fielding their best players for home fixtures. The strategy has been to win both home games, which typically secures a spot in the 16-team play-offs. However, the Bulls took this approach further last season when coach Jake White controversially left 14 first-choice players in Pretoria for their Champions Cup quarter-final against Northampton in England, prioritising rest for a home URC match against Munster a week later. The Bulls lost 59-22 to Saints, prompting accusations that White disrespected the competition. He denied this, arguing he couldn't risk key players needed for the backend of the URC. This season, the Bulls lost both away group matches – 27-5 to Saracens and 49-10 to Castres – after fielding weakened teams. Having also lost their first home match, 30-21 to Northampton, the Bulls' Champions Cup play-off hopes were over going into their final group clash against Stade Francais at Loftus, which they won 48-7 to qualify for the second-tier Challenge Cup play-offs. The Sharks followed a similar pattern. A full-strength team defeated Exeter 39-21 in Durban but couldn't overcome defending champions Toulouse. In between, a second-string side was thrashed 56-17 by Leicester at Welford Road, with coach John Plumtree defending his selections, saying: 'South African players are treated like robots.' Further humiliation followed with a 66-12 loss in Bordeaux. Like the Bulls, the Sharks qualified for the Challenge Cup play-offs but sent what was effectively a Currie Cup team to Lyon (without Plumtree) and predictably relinquished the title they won last season. The Stormers, meanwhile, failed to qualify for either the Champions Cup or Challenge Cup play-offs – a blessing in disguise for coach John Dobson, who could give his injury-hit squad a much-needed week off. White, Plumtree and Dobson have all rightly noted that South African teams lack the depth to compete seriously in both the URC and Champions Cup, and with a stronger chance of winning the URC, prioritising it makes sense. However, the 2027/28 season may change this. To compete against teams like Leinster, Toulouse, the Crusaders, and Chiefs in the inaugural Club World Cup, SA teams must finish among the top eight in the Champions Cup, with potentially lucrative financial incentives for the new tournament making it irresistible. Also read: Rugby needs Club World Cup – Oberholzer As a result, SA sides may go all-out in the Champions Cup during a Club World Cup season, potentially settling for a top-eight URC finish rather than chasing a top-two spot and a home semi-final. In non-Club World Cup years, however, this shift is unlikely unless SA franchises can expand their squads with quality players. This would require a significant increase in the R95m salary cap (approximately €4.6m), which pales in comparison to, for example, Toulouse's €49m budget for the 2024/25 season. The post Club World Cup big carrot for SA teams appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
The Citizen
26-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Three areas the Sharks can refine before their Munster quarter-final
The Sharks need to tighten the screws in these areas after only scoring four tries in one game out of the last six. Sharks captain Eben Etzebeth says they need to improve in order to beat Munster. Picture: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images The Sharks have still not been hitting their stride despite the return from injury of several Springboks, and their four-game winning streak that secured them a third-place finish in the United Rugby Championship's league phase. In the build-up to their last match, which the Sharks won 12–3 against Scarlets, flanker James Venter rightly pointed out that the Durban side have not yet had a complete performance this season. 'We want to play 80 minutes of rugby to the standard we can. I think that's what we are looking for,' he said. 'We are one game away from clicking and being a really, really dangerous side.' He hoped the Scarlets contest would be the one that would bring it all together. Instead, the Sharks ground out a tryless win against a threatening but likewise lacklustre Welsh side, who, like the hosts, regularly lost the ball when they had momentum in the opposition's half. Sharks head coach John Plumtree and captain Eben Etzebeth said they simply have to improve if they wish to beat Munster in their quarter-final in Durban this weekend. While Plumtree praised the Sharks' defence and lineout, he and Etzebeth identified areas that could be worked on. Sub-standard scrum 'The scrum was a bit messy from both teams, there were a few free kicks and penalties, but I'm really happy with the fact that we defended well,' Plumtree said. The all-Springbok front row of Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Vincent Koch were replaced in the 55th minute by Fez Mbatha, Ntuthuko Mchunu and Hanro Jacobs, as has been the model since Trevor Nyakane's long-term injury, with Ruan Dreyer also playing from the bench. But the quality of the front row is backed by stars in the second and third rows. On paper, the pack is one of the best in the world. They have shone in some games, but not as regularly as they would like. Inaccuracies and penalty offences Finishing a game error-free is impossible, but lost balls and penalties can build up and be the difference in a contest. That was exactly what happened against Scarlets – the Sharks winning through four penalty kicks. Plumtree said role clarity was missing, and the Sharks were guilty of loose passes and poor tackles. 'There were a few issues around our attack tonight. We mucked up our launches, just through inaccuracies. 'We just couldn't get anything right. It wasn't a good performance from us, and we have to really look at the reasons why and get better.' The Scarlets only scored through a drop-goal, using all of their penalties to go for lineouts and attempt to get bigger scores. But the Sharks will not always have the scoreboard pressure to keep their opposition doing that. Sharks still require the finishing touch Tying in with inaccuracies, loose balls and lack of role clarity, tries are only scored when no mistakes occur in the build-up. The Sharks should be commended for taking their chances with the boot, slotting all four penalties. But they have only scored four tries once in their last six games. Etzebeth was well aware of their need to up the ante in attack. 'I think we dropped a couple of balls, made errors in our plays… Definitely going to fix that to go further in this competition.'
