Sharks coach John Plumtree was breathing fire on Friday when asked to comment on former Springbok coach Jake Whites’ comments that Bok captain John Smit should pack it in.
“In New Zealand we call it ‘tall poppy syndrome’, which is basically when the public gangs up on an achiever and tries to cut him down,” the Kiwi-born Plumtree said.
“It annoys me that a player can give so much for his country and be so respected among his international peers, yet pick up so much criticism from his countrymen. It is a serious lack of respect,” Plumtree said of Smit, who has 102 Springbok caps and on the all-time Springbok list is second only to team-mate Victor Matfield (104).
Smit has declined to comment on the views of White and at this stage of his illustrious Springbok career he has nothing to prove.
Plumtree added: “The really good players know when it is time to retire, and John is one of the best ever Boks. I have been fortunate to coach some of the best players in the world and John is one of the most competitive of them all. Tana Umaga (the former All Blacks captain) and Scott Gibbs (the Wales great) spring to mind and they are in the same bracket as John Smit.”
Plumtree said that Smit was still showing in training that he had the desire to play at the highest level.
“He wants to be the first ever captain to defend the World Cup title, what bigger motivation could there be for him, for goodness sake?” Plumtree exclaimed.
The coach announced that Smit would be his captain for the Super 15 competition.
In 2009, Plumtree chose to take the pressure off Smit in the year of the momentous British and Irish Lions tour and picked Johann Muller as Sharks captain but in 2011 with World Cup in New Zealand looming, Plumtree has gone for gold.
“This is John’s last season in rugby (he will retire after the World Cup). He has proved that the captaincy role suits him. He is a bloody good leader – he has the respect of other captains and referees the world over.”
The Sharks’ Currie Cup leader, Stefan Terblanche, will be Smit’s deputy.
Plumtree said that the Springbok coaching staff would no doubt closely watch what he did with Smit and the rest of the Springbok front row during the Super 15.
The Bok front row is currently the Sharks unit of Beast Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis and Jannie du Plessis, with Smit to return after missing the Currie Cup and the November tour to the UK and Ireland due to neck surgery.
“Where will we play John? Hooker, tighthead or loosehead? We will play him in all three. He is the only player in world rugby who can do that and I will have no hesitation in switching him between the three because I know that he will be fit enough to play any of them,” Plumtree said.
Last year, Smit was criticised for being out of shape but the angry Plumtree sets the record straight.
“At the end of 2009 the Boks moved John from the relatively mobile position of hooker to the constraints of tighthead prop and he was given the poor advice that he had to put on weight to anchor the scrum effectively. That advice did not come from us, I can assure you.”
The new hooker, Du Plessis, then suffered a horrific hamstring tear and Smit moved back to hooker, only to attract subsequent criticism that he was off the pace because he was too heavy.
The weight issue, though is no longer a problem.
Mark Steele, the current Sharks and former Springbok conditioning coach, says: “Smitty is working unbelievably hard to reach his prime fighting weight.
“I can honestly predict that this is going to be a great year for Smitty.” - Sunday Tribune