EXCLUSIVE | Sharks coach admits 'my battery ran flat' before stepping aside

Outgoing Sharks coach John Plumtree has opened up about the personal reasons behind his decision to step aside and fast-track JP Pietersen into the top job with immediate effect.

Last week in Galway, Plumtree, Pietersen and owner Marco Massotti met before the Connacht game, where Plumtree put the proposal on the table — a suggestion all parties agreed on.

For Sunday’s match against Toulouse (5.15pm kick-off), Plumtree will be in the coaching box with Pietersen stationed pitchside, but from next week’s home clash with Saracens, it will be Pietersen leading from the Kings Park coaching box.

Plumtree will move into a new role at the Shark Tank — still to be clearly defined — which will include mentoring Pietersen.

A notoriously tough operator, Plumtree has effectively carried the weight of the Sharks for the past two-and-a-half years. But he concedes the strain has taken its toll.

“My battery has been drained, and you know me well enough — you may have noticed that,” Plumtree told Independent Media.

“People have said to me, ‘God, you are not right.’ And when you’re a hard man brought up to be tough, like our generation, you slip your vulnerabilities into a shadow and don’t face them.

“So people would ask, ‘How are you doing?’ And I’d say, ‘Yeah, I’m alright, head down and plough on.’ You don’t really think about it.

“But over the break for international rugby, I had time to reflect. I started asking myself, ‘Am I the best John Plumtree for my wife? For my kids? For my team?’ And based on what I’ve been through, maybe I’m not the best version of myself.

“So I started thinking, ‘Maybe it’s time to ask: how do I become that guy again?’ Stepping aside might give me the reboot I need — and allow me to help someone else.”

Plumtree was sacked as All Blacks forwards coach in 2022, made the fall guy when Ian Foster’s side came under fire for poor results. It was a bruising period in the New Zealand spotlight.

“I don’t want anyone to experience what I went through, and I definitely don’t want JP to experience that. I’ll be there whenever he needs me, and knowing I’ll play a background role made it easier for him to accept the job.”

However, Plumtree stresses it is vital that Pietersen is his own man.

“JP had a long playing career, and the number of coaches he worked under may help shape how good he can be as a coach,” he said. “He came through as a 19-year-old under Dick Muir — a very different coach from Jake White, who he later played for at the Springboks.

“Then overseas, he was exposed to guys like Robbie Deans in Japan. He’s had a mix of coaching styles and is applying that now.

“JP may not have been like Rassie Erasmus as a player — someone everyone assumed would become a coach — but when I was playing for Natal under Ian McIntosh, I doubt Mac would have predicted Dick or me would coach one day. We were the clowns in the team,” Plumtree laughed.

“Everyone knows how tough this job is, and there are tough times ahead. It’s not a job everyone would jump at, especially with a large group of Bok players and the resting protocols that come with that.

“But JP is confident — that’s one of his strengths — and when we met with Marco to discuss the plan, he was keen to take it on.”

Ahead of the Toulouse clash, the Sharks’ assistant coaches were sent home to prepare the first-choice squad for next week’s Saracens game, but Plumtree kept Pietersen on tour to observe him closely.

The inexperienced touring side is expected to take a heavy defeat against full-strength Toulouse, but Pietersen is no stranger to criticism after leading a youthful Sharks XV in this year’s Currie Cup.

Sharks fans were vocal when the Bulls thrashed the team early in the campaign, but the side recovered under Pietersen to win their final three games. A similar pattern emerged the previous season, which ended with the Sharks lifting the Currie Cup.

Plumtree is convinced he has backed the right man.

“I think JP is an excellent coach with huge potential, and with the right mentorship around him, he can thrive. So it makes sense to do this now — get JP into position and let him start.

“It gives us six months until the end of the season to find out if JP is the right fit. If he does well, he can continue. If we’re going to do this, we need to do it properly.”