John Plumtree has reflected on one of the biggest learning experiences of his coaching career.
Plumtree joined Ian Foster’s All Blacks coaching team after the 2019 World Cup, taking charge of the forwards.
He was one of two assistants axed in 2022 after the All Blacks suffered a 2-1 series home defeat to Ireland. Jason Ryan replaced him, while Foster went on to coach the All Blacks to the 2023 World Cup final against the Springboks.
Plumtree returned to South Africa in 2023 to take over at the Sharks for a second time, but that job ended in December last year.
Now, still living in Durban, the 61-year-old has looked back on his coaching career, and on the Foster offer in particular.
“When I went to the All Blacks, I was a head coach at the Hurricanes and I was coaching mainly the defence,” Plumtree told the Coaching Culture with Ben Herring podcast.
“When I went to the All Blacks, I was asked to do the forwards and I was probably just a little bit behind in my knowledge of the forward play. It wasn’t so much that, it was just that I hadn’t done a lot of coaching in that space. The knowledge is there, but I just really hadn’t done a lot of coaching.
“Then Covid hit and it made it a bit more difficult and it’s really the first time I’ve sort of told this story. The learning out of it for me was being the best that you can be for the team that you’re coaching and where you feel the most value.”
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Plumtree said when he had joined the Hurricanes in 2015 after a stint as Ireland assistant coach, head coach Chris Boyd had wanted him to coach defence.
“I should have stayed as the defence coach because it was an area of the game that I was really starting to specialise my coaching in.
“In hindsight, maybe going into the All Blacks as a forwards coach might have been a mistake that I probably regret a little bit now. You’re pretty much the first guy I’ve ever said that to.
“But let’s face it, it’s the national team, so I was keen to coach the All Blacks. I love the All Blacks, I still love the All Blacks, but I just backed myself to do it. So I don’t regret anything as such; I loved my time with that team. The outcome didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to, but hey, that’s life. What can you do about it? It’s done.
“But there were learnings for me to take out of it, and there were also good learnings for me in terms of going forward around appointing my coaches and making sure that they are the best in their roles.”
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The post Plum opens up on All Blacks ‘mistake’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
John Plumtree has reflected on one of the biggest learning experiences of his coaching career.
The post Plum opens up on All Blacks ‘mistake’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
