All eyes are on this year’s Carling Currie Cup Final as the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV travel to Emirates Airline Park to take on the Fidelity ADT Lions in the country’s oldest rugby competition.
Hollywoodbets Sharks head coach John Plumtree admits that the mood in the camp is buoyant, as to be expected of such a big occasion that the team has managed to fight so hard for.
“It’s been a good week for us, we’ve had to adjust our training load because of the 100 minutes we played at altitude, but the boys have really enjoyed it. A lot of players in the squad haven’t been in a Currie Cup Final, some have and lost, and only five or six have won the Currie Cup, so it’s nice to see that excitement.”
It’s been something of a delicate balancing act for the campaign, having two head coaches and integrating URC players in the latter stages ahead of that competition. Nevertheless, it’s a proud moment as the team find themselves on the cusp of glory, for the second time this year.
“We’d have been preparing for the Connacht game this week if we weren’t in the final, but the reality is that we’ve come this far and we are going to give it our best shot.
“There’s a genuine excitement around the final, it’s a pressure game and it’s still pre-season, but in saying that, knock-out games are more intense, more physical and there’s probably another 20 to 30% impact behind the contact. But it’s a final which gives us the practice we need for these pressure type moments that we’re going to get when we’re overseas. That’s a real positive.
“It’s important that we go up there and play well, to do our best for the jersey.”
‘You’ve got to be in it to win it’ is an old saying that rings true. After a tough start, losing the first three matches, the team has gone unbeaten to the point where they now contest for the trophy.
“A real positive is the way some of the young players have come through,” Plumtree explains. “And around pour culture, we’re building something here which started a while ago. It’s lovely seeing the players excited to represent the jersey and the brand. People are getting behind the team and we believe we can play a brand of rugby that everyone will enjoy watching.
“We’ve taken steps in the right direction, but we’re not there yet. We’re not satisfied with where we’re at, but we’re taking some really positive steps forward.”
Having won the tournament both as a player and previously as coach of the Hollywoodbets Sharks, winning the Currie Cup would obviously count for a lot, but Plumtree’s hope is for everyone who has played a part to earn the accolades.
“The last time I was in a final was 2011 at Emirates Airline Park and we lost that game, so it would mean a lot [winning in 2024]. But I think I’m more excited for the boys and management. We’ve had two sets of coaches in this Currie Cup and more than 40 players, so there have been a lot of people involved in this campaign.
“A lot of our players and management are going up to watch as well, so it’s really special. If we can pull it off, there will be a big celebration involving a lot of people and that’s quite unique.
“I was more than happy for JP [Pietersen] to take the team up, but I think he wanted the old dog to do it! But he will be there with me, as will Nick Hatton who played a role as captain.
“It will make it special for everyone. There’s a genuine excitement around this opportunity. You can’t help but get excited because everyone is excited around you.
“If we can pull it off then that’s two trophies in a short space of time. But we know the big picture, and the players know that as well, that we have to do well in Europe. But you do live in the moment, this is the now and we’re going to give it our best crack.”
The final kicks off at 4pm.
