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Sharks coach John Plumtree hopes a selection shake-up will help turn his talented team’s season around, following three successive defeats in the opening weeks.
Speaking to rugby365.com, ahead of his team’s Round Four encounter with the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday, Plumtree revealed that “some strong words” were spoken after his team’s 6-35 capitulation against the Crusaders last Saturday.
Although he conceded that they were beaten by a “much better team”, he felt that his team had “dropped their heads” in the final 10 minutes and allowed the score to balloon.
Now he hopes that by making some selection changes it will ensure the Sharks get their first win against a team that has just returned from a bruising road trip to South Africa – where the ‘Tahs were beaten by both the Bulls and Stormers.
Plumtree is determined that his charges put behind them a horror start to the season – narrow losses to the Chiefs and Cheetahs, before the heavy defeat against the Crusaders – and get that crucial first win under the belt.
Saying that his team played most of their rugby in the wrong area of the field, he said the Sharks just weren’t good enough on the day.
“They [the Crusaders] put us under pressure at set the pieces, particularly at the scrum,” Plumtree told rugby365.com.
The Sharks mentor promised his team’s long-suffering fans – desperate to see the side end their Super Rugby cup drought – that they will sort the problems out.
“We’ll work pretty hard on those areas,” he said of the set pieces, adding: “There has obviously been some tough talking.
“We know what are our strengths and weaknesses as a team.
“We just have to work really hard on our strengths and give ourselves the best chance to win by focussing on those strengths and that is something we have talked about.”
He said that they won’t be concerned about what the opposition does or might do, but rather focus on their own game.
“We are just going to concentrate on what we can bring to the party,” Plumtree said.
“There will be some changes in selection and hopefully those players we will pick on the day will be good enough to do the job,” he added, declining to reveal which players are under fire.
He also dismissed a lack of fitness for his team’s poor start, especially with a view to the slump in the final 20 minutes.
“We worked pretty hard in the pre-season and even though some guys came back later, I wouldn’t use fitness as an excuse,” the coach said.
“The boys worked pretty hard and they are professionals.
“The Sharks have always been a physical side and under me they have always been very fit.
“[I feel] we dropped off against the Crusaders because our heads dropped when we realised we are probably going to lose the football match.
“When you are losing [games] it is not very nice when you realise you are going to lose another one.
“We talked about that and we want to fight for 80 minutes, no matter what the score is – we must produce an 80-minute performance to give us the best chance to win the game.”
Plumtree said his team has used similar systems this year to what they have used in the past and it has never been a problem.
“The players are working really hard at the moment and we don’t think it is a fitness thing, that’s for sure,” Plumtree added.
Courtesy of Rugby 365 editor Jan De Koning
some more tough talking from plum, let’s see if they deliver on saturday. Oh well, if they don’t we can expect the same ‘plum excuses’ again.
perhaps old-fashioned whipping would help them to get their heads around – where is Ice
@rekinek (Comment 2) : im afraid the solution is beyond plum now, in fact he is a big part of the problem
@war1 (Comment 3) : what is still a bit of a mystery to me is that the team packed with Springboks and alltogether relatively successful players is suddenly so dreadful.
but then again this inability to create tries is nothing new, unfortunately. and I guess coaches have big part in it. Not sure whether Plum though- proper attacking coach is truly missing. I guess it is Plum’s job to find one.
uh oh
“Plumtree said his team has used similar systems this year to what they have used in the past and it has never been a problem.”
More indication that the problem with the Sharks is more then just a coaching thing.
@robdylan (Comment 5) : you also reckon this is the beginning of the end for plum? or the final straw
@Farlington (Comment 6) : it was a problem last year already.
besides law has changes – one needs to adapt
i am surprised he waited three games before he got his boot out.
maybe he’ll select the team i suggest earlier today.
I wonder what ‘selections’ will deliver the goods considering it is our seasoned springboks who are letting us down.
@rekinek (Comment 4) : it just occurred to me, good bok players aren’t necessarily going to be good super 14 players. and vice versa. in internationals the emphasis isn’t as much on attack as it is keeping the opposition out. and the shark boks are good at this. but they aren’t good at getting those tries which make them great super rugby players. look at jp, he has lost his try making abilities, but how many try saving tackles does he make?
@try time (Comment 12) : Good point
@rekinek (Comment 8) : His methods did start to show cracks last year I agree, but their poor performance can not be blamed on the law changes.
Speculation on IOL is that Ruan will move to 9 and Goode will start this weekend.
Also serious questions regarding our scrumming ability against the formidable `Tahs scrum.
Smit at 3 won`t work. We all know this. Now lets see if Plum does .. .
@Farlington (Comment 14) : i am not using new laws as excuses. I am saying that you cannot always stick to the same tactics – you need to vary as opposition varies and now law changed as well.
@Original Pierre (Comment 15) : i would not consider this exactly as shake – up
@try time (Comment 12) : you’re right.
last year boks tactics was not exactly about tries but more about Morne’s boot.
@rekinek (Comment 17) : more like common sense.
Perhaps Mvovo for the Tortoise? I’m a bit worried about Swannepoel though, any player who flings out a wild pass on his own 22 exactly when he shouldn’t panic should be treated the same as a soccer defender who kicks across his goals.
This year is stuffed IMO…why play Goode at all…play Lambie
@Pokkel (Comment 21) : 3 losses and it’s a write off? But i hear you on the Lambie thing, although to be honest he looks very young and fragile.
Saw him in CT at that warm-up game. Reckon he needs another year and Percy’s ‘protein shakes’
@CapeShark (Comment 22) : shakes seem to be working for joe pietersen
@Farlington (Comment 6) :
NOPE I disagree!!!!!!!
I have always said that a good measure of a player or coach who bursts onto the scene is how that coach or player does the following year once he has been studied by the opposition.
To ellaborate on that. If a coach is great in season one, everyone will be studying his team and work out ways to counter that. If he then uses the same tactics and gameplans in season 2 he WILL fail if they have worked out his tactics.
Plum saying what he did there is to a BAD thing meaning the sharks are serving up the same old stuff season after season and they have been worked out long ago.
The coach needs to stay sharp and keep the opposition geussing NOT serving up the same stuff.
@rekinek (Comment 8) :
Exactly!!!!!!! and the cracks have now become canyons
@CapeShark (Comment 19) :
The problem is that there is fookall common about common sense.
well plumming out and u know thsi saying maak die bulle almal bokke if sharks carry on like this, that’s what’s going to happen
The Sharks need a proper 10, keep Adi & Waylon in the midfield
@war1 (Comment 1) : agree then i wonder what is up his sleeve next week
@Charmaine (Comment 30) : well goodnight till tomorrow
