Time for the Sharks to look forward

The Sharks ended their Super Rugby campaign on a high, thrashing the Southern Kings 58-13. But the end of the Vodacom Super Rugby season marks the end of an era for Sharks rugby.

 

Despite John Plumtree not being in charge for the past three weeks, it’s also the end of the road for interim coaches Hugh Reece-Edwards and Grant Bashford.

 

For many fans it’s a worry to see Plumtree go after five years in charge. He won two Currie Cup titles and got to the final of Super Rugby in 2012 despite losing many players to Springbok duty and injury. He was often tasked with bringing an inexperienced squad together and produced a unique brand of rugby. The irony of his contract not being renewed lies in the fact that he coached new CEO John Smit when he won his one and only Currie Cup title. Now it’s Smit that’s pulled the plug on Plumtree’s contract. Just six months ago Plumtree was named SA Coach of the Year by SARU.

 

But it’s now time to look forward for Sharks supporters. Brendan Venter will take over from Plumtree and he comes with great pedigree and experience. Venter has turned English club Saracens around over the past four years. In 2009 he was appointed as the Director of Rugby at the English club and in his debut season went on a 10-match unbeaten streak, leading them to the Premiership final in his first season, which they lost. But the following year they went one better and won the Premiership for the first time in their history.

 

Venter has 17 Springbok caps and was a member of the famous 1995 World Cup winning team. It also helps that he’s a medical doctor by profession. He’s expected to name Brad McLeod-Henderson as his assistant, along with Sean Everitt and Paul Anthony. It’s no secret that the new batch of coaching staff are close allies of Smit. Anthony is his former school coach from Pretoria Boys High and comes to the Shark Tank from the Blue Bulls U19 setup. Venter and Smit had a close working relationship when the former Springbok captain played for Saracens. McLeod-Henderson is a former teammate.

 

At the end of the day, you can have the best coach in the world, but if you don’t have a strong squad of players, results often suffer. The pressure is on with fans expecting a successful Currie Cup campaign.

 

The Sharks play their first fixture on 9 August, when they will host Griquas in Durban. 

 

- Peter Van Onselen 

 

(File photo: Brendan Venter, Gallo Images)