The last time the Sharks played the Lions in a Currie Cup final was in 2011, and coach John Plumtree regrets a selection mistake that not only helped the Johannesburg side win, but also lost him bragging rights against his countryman, John Mitchell.
It is fascinating that Mitchell, a former coach of the All Blacks, and Plumtree grew up in the same remote New Zealand town of Hawera.
They played against each other – Mitchell for Waikato and Plumtree for Taranaki – and later they coached against each other across various competitions.
The close friends had a sideline – and very much fun – trophy, whenever they coached each other, called the Hawera Cup (it is nothing more than a coffee cup sporting the town’s logo).
Plumtree laughed when he was reminded of the Hawera Cup after naming his team to play the Lions in tomorrow’s Currie Cup final at Ellis Park (4pm kick-off).
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“Mitch has still got that cup, and it was bloody tough to hand it over to him in 2011 at Ellis Park,” Plumtree smiled.
“I will never forget that match because the Springboks had been knocked out of the 2011 World Cup (in New Zealand), and suddenly I had six first-choice Springboks back in the fold (the likes of John Smit, and Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis).
“I had to decide whether to continue with the existing squad that had got us to the final or bring back the Boks. I brought them back, and I think it cost us the final because I had meddled with the team culture.”
Thirteen years later, Plumtree takes the Sharks back to Ellis Park for a Currie Cup final.
And while there is no chance of bringing back Boks – they are in Argentina fighting for the Rugby Championship – he has a similar issue in that he is bringing back several of those in the group who were rested as part of the mandatory eight-week rest period for United Rugby Championship players.
Among those are Junior Bok centre Jurenzo Julius, who replaces the suspended Francois Venter and will partner Springbok powerhouse André Esterhuizen in midfield, and Bok lock Jason Jenkins, who will make his Sharks debut off the bench.
Emmanuel Tshituka slots in at No 8 alongside brother and captain Vincent, with Phepsi Buthelezi out injured.
Plumtree said that he has to bring them back because next week, the Sharks play Connacht in Galway, followed by games against the Dragons and Benetton.
That is the reality of life in the professional rugby era.
“It is different to 2011,” Plumtree said. “The players are all on the same page regarding the bigger picture.
“If we had lost to the Bulls in the semi-final, it would have been a different week. We would have been working on the Connacht game and giving the players an extra few days off, because we’d be away for three weeks.
“The reality is different, and we find ourselves in a final – and we might as well give it our best shot.
“There’s a genuine excitement around the final; it’s still a pre-season game (for the URC), but a pressure game and a trophy is at stake. That gives us the practice that we need for those pressure moments that we’re going to get when we’re overseas. That’s a real positive.”
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Plumtree added that a companion trophy to the Challenge Cup will look good in the Kings Park trophy cabinet.
“It will mean a lot to win the Currie Cup,” he said. “I’ll probably be more excited for the boys.
“We’ve had two sets of coaches in the Currie Cup and more than 40 players, so there’s been a lot of people who have been involved in this campaign and a lot of management and players not going up to watch.
“If we can pull it off, it’s two trophies in a short space of time, but we know, and the big picture for me – and the players know it – is we’ve got to do well in Europe and the URC.
“But you live in the moment and you live in the now, and this is right now – so we’re going to give it our best crack.”
Sharks Team
15 Jordan Hendrikse 14 Eduan Keyter 13 Jurenzo Julius 12 André Esterhuizen 11 Ethan Hooker 10 Siya Masuku 9 Bradley Davids 8 Emmanuel Tshituka 7 Vincent Tshituka (captain) 6 James Venter 5 Emile van Heerden 4 Corné Rahl 3 Hanro Jacobs 2 Fez Mbatha 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Bench: 16 Dylan Richardson 17 Trevor Nyakane 18 Mawande Mdande 19 Jason Jenkins 20 Gerbrandt Grobler 21 Tino Mavesere 22 Tian Meyer 23 Lionel Cronjé.