Plum’s job safe
17 Mar 2010
Brian van Zyl says there are no plans to sack John Plumtree after the Sharks’ dismal start to their campaign.
Five straight losses sees a squad containing well over 10 Springboks languishing in 12th position on the log. The Sharks have won one game in their last 10 Super 14 starts. They haven’t won a match this year considering their pre-season losses to the Stormers and Force, and were also knocked out of the Currie Cup by the Cheetahs in a semi-final at home last year.
Sharks CEO Van Zyl described this run as a ‘downward spiral’, but was confident the side would be able to get out of the slump soon.
‘Plum’s job is safe,’ Van Zyl told keo.co.za. ‘It’s on the record that we’ve offered him a contract extension to keep him here. We just have to finalise a few details.’
The Sharks face the Highlanders and Hurricanes in their final two tour matches. Van Zyl said the Sharks board will decide who is to be held accountable for their tour results once the team returns home.
‘It’s hard to say what would happen if there was a winless tour,’ he said. ‘If anything drastic were to happen, it would have to come from a collective management decision.’
Van Zyl reiterated that he has full faith in Plumtree, who took over as head coach from Dick Muir after the 2008 Super 14. Since then, the Sharks broke their 12-year Currie Cup drought by claiming the title in 2008, but ended the 2009 Super 14 in sixth position after topping the log midway through the competition.
Fast-forward to a little less than a year later, and there are now big problems.
‘I think they’ve been unfortunate in that many bad decisions have gone against them,’ said Van Zyl. ‘A few bounces of the ball and losses of concentration have cost the team. They’ve only taken one smack, against the Crusaders, and I’m sure they’ll come good soon.
‘Our goal was always to make the semis, and from there to make the final. That looks unlikely now, but a good coach doesn’t become a bad coach over night. We’re just in a downward spiral, which has to be overturned.
‘We can’t win everything. Although we haven’t won the Super 14, we’ve been in more finals than any South African team.’
Van Zyl, like Plumtree has done this week, denied reports that in-fighting between the players is derailing the Sharks’ season. Van Zyl also refuted claims that Plumtree has lost the support of a faction of the squad and administration.
‘Those are just rumours,’ he said.
By Grant Ball
87 Comments
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17 Mar 2010, 08:55 am
work to do…cheers all….
sharks to whack the landers….easy peasy….
1 point!!
outta here
17 Mar 2010, 08:56 am
@Oubaas2009: 50
Exactly.
Having 2 x great hookers should be a blessing ….not a curse.
cheers…sorry for my poor maths earlier…
17 Mar 2010, 09:02 am
I know the wheel will turn and I wonder how some other fans would feel at losing some of the matches we have? Sure the Sharks have to blame themselves for not shutting out games, but no-one can say that they haven’t been unlucky. We’ve been plain robbed twice this season and that’s not including the Pro match or this last match where some crucial decisions went against us in the final minutes. Even the match winning penalty was skeptical. No the Sharks just need to get a win and then rebuild some confidence. They are playing with too much panic and low confidence at the moment.
17 Mar 2010, 09:04 am
@Ratel Brussow (MSIUR): Agreed but as they say ‘you create your own luck’.
Ask the Bulls, you don’t need to be lucky when you put 50 on the scoreboard!
17 Mar 2010, 09:06 am
@st.a.t.w: # 48
STATW go read post # 50 < I agree with Oubaas and in the order he has them.
Come test time, depending on the opposition, the run on hooker will change. Why waste the different styles? But I would only ever play John Smit as a hooker. Smith should only play prop if during a game you run out of props, through injury… blood bin or whatever. Not just because… oh gee, John is a prop… some days.
OK… look at the Aussies, they have 2 hookers Polota-Nau & Moore. Who do you start with? See what I am getting at.
17 Mar 2010, 09:08 am
@Oubaas2009: Sure but you can hardly compare the Bulls to the Sharks at the moment. The Bulls are looking like the Crusaders used to. I’m just saying that this season its a fine line between 4 from 5 and 0 from 5. Last year we made the close ones stick, this season we are losing them. Probably lacking composure. Still I reckon the Sharks will hassle most teams on their day, its not like they are getting 50 past them like the Lions.
17 Mar 2010, 09:10 am
@Ratel Brussow (MSIUR): Totally agree with you there. Funny that the Sharks defensive record is better than the Bulls! We just need to find another try scorer other than Kanko!
17 Mar 2010, 09:11 am
@grant10: 52 No worries mate, us Sharkies are just a little more defensive than usual given the current state of the nation! And boy does Keo like to rub it in.
17 Mar 2010, 09:13 am
Whenever as a coach your employer says you “have their full support” you know it’s time to dust off your cv…
17 Mar 2010, 09:15 am
@Ratel Brussow (MSIUR):
true, but the saders did’nt leak 3-4 tries per match
@RugbyRulz:
i hear what you’re saying but when the test season arrives are you willing to leave you’re captain on the bench
17 Mar 2010, 09:16 am
@gunther: 59.
“Plum’s job is safe,’ Van Zyl told keo.co.za. ‘It’s on the record that we’ve offered him a contract extension to keep him here. We just have to finalise a few details.”
What makes you think those ‘few details’ involve getting a win in the next few matches before he comes home!
17 Mar 2010, 09:23 am
Leave the du plessis brothers behind in Australia..
17 Mar 2010, 10:04 am
@gunther: # 62
You may get what you wish for… 1/2 of it. If it happens, so be it. Do not think McQueen would want both, Jannie could always apply for a work visa, doctors are always welcome.
17 Mar 2010, 10:06 am
@st.a.t.w: # 60 I don’t have a problem with my captain coming from the bench. McCaw does it, Morty has (when he was captain) and Smit will too. Teams have a 2 IC for these situations. In time the 2 IC ends up captain.
17 Mar 2010, 10:15 am
STATW… It is all conjecture at this point in time. May John lose 10kegs, Bismark grow within himself and the Sharks take a scalp… they need it.
17 Mar 2010, 10:18 am
Rulz
They are a package deal… they are like siamese twins on that they share the same braincell..
17 Mar 2010, 10:20 am
@gunther: Jannie got all of the braincell being a Doctor
17 Mar 2010, 10:25 am
@gunther: 66 Separating siamese twins will be a benefit. We all learn to fend for ourselves.
@WP_: 67 Genetics went awry there. About all they got in common is their name.
17 Mar 2010, 10:29 am
@Oubaas2009:
The losing streak is 8 out of 8 because they lost their last 8 games in a row.
17 Mar 2010, 10:32 am
@RugbyRulz: haha, well exactly.
17 Mar 2010, 10:55 am
Rulz
They have the same kak atittude, like the world owes them something..
17 Mar 2010, 11:10 am
I hope they do sack Plumtree.
The sooner the better.
Come on home Johnny,
Wellington is the place for You.
17 Mar 2010, 11:12 am
On a positive note..at least they’re consistent.
17 Mar 2010, 11:13 am
@Oubaas2009: 61. You’ve nailed it there.
17 Mar 2010, 11:15 am
The Sharks need a homegrown coach along with homegrown players.
The Blue Balls are an example to all South Afican franchises…with the exception of Bakkies that came out of Sharks country.
17 Mar 2010, 11:26 am
@Predawn:
17 Mar 2010, 11:35 am
@nama1: #61
sharks 2009 season results
vs stormers 20 -15
vs lions 25 – 10
vs chiefs 22 – 15
vs blues 35 – 31
vs reds 13 – 25 first loss
vs force 22 – 10
vs brumbies 35 – 14
vs hurricanes 33 – 17
vs cheetahs 6 – 31 2nd loss
vs crusaders 10 – 13 3rd loss
vs highlander 23 – 15
vs waratahs 12 – 16 4th loss
vs bulls 26 -27 5th loss
so the losing streak is 7 games (including this season’s 0 from 5), looking at the way the sharks started last season, the stormers should be wary of screaming
17 Mar 2010, 11:37 am
@Transformation: #77 the stormers should be wary of screaming play-offs too early
17 Mar 2010, 11:52 am
@Transformation: 77
Oubaas was counting their losses backwards to the CC semi-final, including the two friendlies against the Force and Stormers earlier this year.
Starting at the semi vs OFS the Sharks lost 8 in a row now. (I know there is suppose to be a difference between the CC team and the S14 team).
If we only look at S14 matches, you are right. They’ve lost 7 in a row. Taking it a step further, they’ve lost 9 out of their last ten S14 games.
It must be obvious to anybody that the rot did not only set in this year afa S14 matches are concerned.
17 Mar 2010, 13:24 pm
@JL1: Hi JLI as much as i agree I also dont
We had the depth and talent , we sold it and kept only a few talents
Lets take this same side and make a few changes
Bring back a Butch , F Steyn, Barritt , Bj Botha and that side would be totally different
Then take the fact that a Jfourie had approached the Sharks and they did not snap him up
Imagine this team had they just kept their stars
15 Ludick
14 Mvovo
13 J fourie
12 F Steyn
11 JPP
10 Butch
09 Ruan
08 Kanko
07 Alberts
06 Deysel
05 Muller/Mostert
04 Sykes
03 BJ
02 Smit/Bissy
01 Beast
16 Bissy/Smit
17 Herbst/Cilliers
18 Hargreaves/Mostert
19 Botes/Daniel
20 Cockott
21 Adi/Murray
22 Odwa/Stefan
I doubt this team would have struggled , all the Sharks had to do was keep what they had and add a Fourie that approched them
Of course they also lost Hernandez to injury, but to lose what they lost and not to replace with the same kind of quality , is not the way to go
At the same time the up and comming youngsters like lambie should be blooded more , thus this year should be taken as a failure, thus they should now blood the good youngsters and plan ahead.
Fact is they dont have the Stars they had and the rebuilding phase should start A.S.A.P
17 Mar 2010, 14:40 pm
@sharks_lover: sharks fans are pretty good at fielding imaginary teams!
How many time have we heard these words in the past year “They also approached Brussow to come to Durban,whoa imagine brussow, deysel & kanko!!!” daydreamers!
17 Mar 2010, 14:56 pm
@grant10: 7 – Plum not making the big calls? That means he’s weak and needs to grow a pair. van Zyl is a complete doos to keep him on. Plum is utterly useless and doesn’t have a clue!
17 Mar 2010, 14:58 pm
@KZN King Shark: “van Zyl is a complete doos” Full Stop!!!!
17 Mar 2010, 14:59 pm
@RugbyRulz: Bismarck is emotionally challenged. He’s a five year old in a man’s body. No place for an attitude like his in professional rugby. Adds no value to the Sharks or the Boks. Just gets yellow-carded and gives Saffers a bad name.
17 Mar 2010, 15:04 pm
@JL1: 31 Look it doesn’t help when our hairbrain coach insists on starting human snail Ndungane on the wing when we have Mvovo who has pace not even making it into 22! I mean what the hell happened last week! Murray came on at wing and so did Burden?! ***** not even a schools coach would be so idiotic! Plum doesn’t know what he’s doing.
17 Mar 2010, 15:28 pm
@KZN King Shark: relax mate , ur young heart is taking a beating
@Transformation: transie , dreaming is good n free aint it??
actual i think my posting does explain it well , all sharks had to do was hold onto what they have
to me anyhows its a combination of many things being the reason the sharks are struggling
coaching yes
players yes
management yes
17 Mar 2010, 16:00 pm
@Transformation: Stormers are 3-0 up on the Sharks since then…
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