Sharks coach John Plumtree has appointed Springbok captain John Smit as skipper of his team for the Super 14 season.
Rugby365
Plumtree said that In previous years, because of Smit’s commitment to the Springboks, it was felt it was better to appoint another player as captain to ensure continuity.
However, this thinking has now changed and is welcome news for all the players and supporters.
“It was obviously a tough decision to make, considering the exceptional work put in by Johann Muller and Stefan Terblanche over the last two years,” Plumtree said.
“John Smit is widely acknowledged as the best captain in world rugby and is an exceptional leader.
“With the three of them being good mates, he will continue to have the full backing of Johann and Stefan and all the players are very supportive of this decision.”
A veteran of 159 games for The Sharks, John was first appointed as captain back in 2001, at the age of 23.
He successfully managed this role until 2007, captaining The Sharks on 56 occasions.
“I am very conscious of the fact that I can call upon the advice and input from two great leaders in Johann and Stefan, making my job so much easier,” Smit said.
“This is a wonderful situation to be in and I am confident that The Sharks will have a very good season this year. To be able to lead such a talented team is very rewarding for me.”
Smit, the most capped Test skipper on the all-time international list, is just two games short of joining an exclusive centurion club – 100 Super Rugby matches.
He also stands on 93 Test caps, after making his debut in 2000.
The 31-year-old Smit’s debut for the Sharks was in a Currie Cup match against Western Province in 1997 – at age 19 – and he made his Super Rugby debut, for the Sharks, in 1999 against the Waratahs.
January 19th, 2010 at 9:27 am
Media Release:
The Sharks coach, John Plumtree has announced that he has appointed
John Smit as captain of The Sharks for 2010 season.
In previous years, because of John’s commitment to the Springboks, it was
felt it was better to appoint another player as captain to ensure continuity.
However, this thinking has now changed and is welcomed news for all the
players and supporters.
John Plumtree commented; “It was obviously a tough decision to make,
considering the exceptional work put in by Johann Muller and Stefan
Terblanche over the last two years. John Smit is widely acknowledged as
the best captain in world rugby and is an exceptional leader. With the three
of them being good mates, he will continue to have the full backing of Johann
and Stefan and all the players are very supportive of this decision.”
A veteran of 159 games for The Sharks, John was first appointed as captain
back in 2001, at the age of 23. He successfully managed this role until 2007,
captaining The Sharks on 56 occasions.
Smit added, “I am very conscious of the fact that I can call upon the advice
and input from two great leaders in Johann and Stefan, making my job so
much easier. This is a wonderful situation to be in and I am confident that
The Sharks will have a very good season this year. To be able to lead such
a talented team is very rewarding for me.”
JOHN SMIT
• Position: Hooker / Prop
• Physical: 1.88m; 120kg
• Province: The Sharks
• Born: 03.04.78, Polokwane
• Province Caps: 61
• Province Points: 60 [12t]
• Province Debut: 1997 v Western Province
• Super 14 Caps: 98
• Super 14 Points: 35 [7t]
• Super 14 Debut: 1999 v Waratahs
• Test Caps: 93
• Test Points: 30 [6t]
• Test Debut: 2000 v Canada
January 19th, 2010 at 9:34 am
More test caps than CC
nearly more than Super Rugby
January 19th, 2010 at 9:42 am
In 1978 there was no such place as Polokwane in South Africa
Go Johnno
Good luck
And I hope you spend the whole saeason making Tiom Noakes look like he has the intelligence of a vaginal discharge
January 19th, 2010 at 9:45 am
NOW for the BIG Question!!
Is he going to be a #3 or a #2….
January 19th, 2010 at 10:02 am
At S14 Level he will be able to play 3 but will it be the correct decision? I don’t think so.
January 19th, 2010 at 10:52 am
I think it was the obvious decision to make Plummo…
the really tough decision will be does he play hooker or prop… (as piet said)
chew on that one long and hard before you swallow…
January 19th, 2010 at 10:58 am
He’ll be playing at 3… with the pack looking as followed IMO…
1 Beast
2 Bismarck
3 Smit (c)
4 Sykes
5 Muller
6 Deysel
7 Alberts
8 Kankowski
16 JDP
17 Carstens
18 Burden
19 Botes
20 Mostert
January 19th, 2010 at 11:00 am
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 10:58 am: Not a bad pack but then they always have a good pack but will they pull it through this year?
January 19th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 10:58 am:
dat one helluva useful pack.
January 19th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Again no REAL OSF! Only Cheetahs and Bulls seem to have an open side this season!
January 20th, 2010 at 5:23 am
Reply to JT @ 7:52 pm:
Deysel has been more than useful turning over good ball at the break down as too is Bismarck Du Plessis, Beast, Carstens, Botes, Burden…
Besides… my opinion still remains that every player in the team should be capable of adding to turnover ball when in the tackle-zone/point of breakdown… and the responsibility should not simply lie on one player’s shoulders…
January 20th, 2010 at 7:32 am
In the great career that John Smit has had, the Sharks must be the only blemish on the report card thusfar. No wonder he has so few caps in the CC and S14 vs Bok caps.