Durban — In a major boost for the Sharks, former All Black assistant coach John Plumtree is set for a dramatic return to the Shark Tank as the new head coach for the next United Rugby Championship (URC) season and beyond.
In effect, Plumtree will be taking over from Sean Everitt, who parted ways from the Sharks in November last year. That prompted Director of Rugby Neil Powell to step in as acting coach but at the end of this season, he is to step back from coaching and start performing his role of director in earnest.
Plumtree, of course, is a proud Sharks old boy. He played 80 games for Natal between 1988 and 1994 and was in the side that famously won the Currie Cup for the first time, in 1990 when they shocked Northern Transvaal.
Plumtree was the assistant coach of the Sharks side that made the Super 14 final in 2007 and the next year he coached the Sharks to their first Currie Cup title since 1996.
He continued to coach the Sharks until 2012, when John Smit took over from Brian van Zyl as CEO. The former Springbok captain ended Plumtree’s tenure and the Kiwi has subsequently gained vast experience in the coaching teams of Ireland, the Hurricanes, Japan and the All Blacks.
Plumtree is to head up an overhauled coaching staff that is expected to have a strong South African flavour after having had a big European influence of late.
Irishman Noel McNamara is going home, as are Georgian scrum coach Akvsenti Giorgadze and French forwards consultant Jannick Bru. Conditioning coach Allan Temple-Jones is also moving on. Attack specialist David Williams, who served under Everitt for a period, is also set to return.
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Williams was much respected by the Sharks players and he was in charge of the attack when the Sharks were top of the Super Rugby log, just prior to the Covid-19 lockdown.
It is known that Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am recommended that Williams be brought back to the Sharks.
While the Sharks have not put out an official statement on Plumtree, it is understood that the 57-year-old will be taking up the reins in July.
IOL Sport