Mike Greenaway
Sharks coach John Plumtree's comments that players should not be treated as “robots” has gained little sympathy in the northern hemisphere but his counterpart on Saturday Jake White would agree that too much is being asked of players in terms of travel.
The Sharks and the Bulls play a big United Rugby Championship derby in Durban on Saturday a week after both suffered losses in England in the Challenge Cup.
Plumtree, speaking after a mostly second-string team was pumped 56-17 by Leicester, said the relentless playing schedule was taking a physical and mental toll on players. He added that it would be much better if the South African teams travelled to the north for mini-tours rather than go backward and forward for one match.
When the Sharks announced their team squad for the Leicester game they added a list of 15 players who were either injured or had to be rested.
Plumtree added after the game: “Absolutely we wanted to bring Siya Kolisi here. We wanted to bring our best here. What a showcase it could have been.
“I want to bring our strongest Sharks side here and play on the biggest stage. I can understand frustration (at not seeing top Springboks in action). I want to go out there and give Leicester a good hiding in front of their home crowd. Don’t worry about that.
“We’re all competitive. But the reality is we’ve got to look after these athletes. They are not robots. It is impossible for them to front up every week. And right now, the South African boys are treated like robots.”
But Michael Cheika, the Leicester coach brushed off Plumtree’s suggestion that there has to be a re-look at the format of the European competitions.
“There is no solution required,” Cheika said. “This is the European Cup. It’s the pinnacle tournament in European footy. The idea is to do your best, and go out there and win it against the best teams. I’m not worried about the competition setup. I don’t see anything wrong with it.”
Former England hooker Brian Moore was completely dismissive of Plumtree’s comments, saying the Sharks coach “has no leg to stand on.”
He added, “Nobody is at fault. South Africa chose to play in Europe and this is a simple consequence of it.”
The problem with Cheika’s view point is that he has just one Rugby Championship player in his squad, Handre Pollard. Plumtree has 12 and it is crazy to contend that those Boks should be played into the ground, week in week out.
At least travel will not be an issue for the Bulls and the Sharks on Saturday for what is shaping up be a brutal derby.
Of the 15 Sharks unavailable for the Leicester game, a sizeable chunk will be back. One of them will be Ox Nche, who yesterday confirmed he has extended his stay at the Sharks until the end of 2028.
His scum battle with Wilco Louw will be epic and there will be showdowns all over the pitch. The loose forward battle could be crucial and while Cameron Hanekom is in red-hot form, the Sharks will have Siya Kolisi back and in his new role of No 8.
There is a good chance Eben Etzebeth will be back from a concussion suffered a few weeks back against Exeter while the bruising Andre Esterhuizen will give the Sharks’ midfield a big boost.
Before a two-week pause in the URC for the Champions Cup, the Bulls and Sharks were riding high on the back of impressive performances. The Bulls had defeated Connacht in Galway, while Plumtree’s men pulled off a miracle win over the Stormers in Durban.
After both suffering defeats last week, plenty is riding on Saturday’s game at the Shark Tank. | Independent Media Sport