Plumtree: ‘Lambie must play flyhalf’
24 Oct 2012
Sharks head coach John Plumtree says Pat Lambie’s first-choice position should be flyhalf.
With Morne Steyn out of form and Johan Goosen injured, Lambie will be a main contender for the Springbok No 10 jersey during the team’s end-of-year tour to Europe.
The 22-year-old has been utilised as a fullback in 2012 by Bok head coach Heyneke Meyer and only received 54 minutes of playing time out of a possible 480 during the Rugby Championship.
However, Meyer revealed to this site on Tuesday that he would give the player a chance at flyhalf during the November Tests.
Lambie has started at flyhalf for the Sharks over the last fortnight, playing key roles in the 42-3 thrashing of Griquas and the 20-3 semi-final win over the Blue Bulls. Plumtree said he has been impressed so far.
‘I was really looking forward to giving Pat a run at 10,’ Plumtree told keo.co.za. ‘I was happy to give him two games of 80 minutes. He was probably craving game time when he returned to us, and he’s done well so far.
‘I see Pat Lambie as a 10. He has the tactical and goal kicking game. He has all the main attributes and a smart rugby brain. He has the whole package.
‘Yeah, he can play fullback, but I just think he offers more at flyhalf. And he’ll just get better and better at 10 as he continues to play in that position. He’ll be my flyhalf for Super Rugby.’
Plumtree believes Lambie needs to prove his worth as a quality flyhalf in Saturday’s Currie Cup final against WP.
‘That’s his opportunity to stake his claim, especially ahead of the Springbok end-of-year tour. How he handles the pressure and how he performs is up to him. He needs to make full use of the opportunity.’
By Gareth Duncan, in Durban
47 Comments
24 Oct 2012, 06:32 am
lambieghini gallardo
24 Oct 2012, 07:13 am
Stop playing him at 15 then plumtree.
24 Oct 2012, 07:16 am
do we really need a thread about this? a topic that has been discussed ad nauseam on every other thread
24 Oct 2012, 07:21 am
@mamma_lou-3:
is this an attempt to reverse the apocalyptic effects of the mass exodus of sharks fans from this site?
24 Oct 2012, 07:38 am
@mamma_lou-4:
hehehehe
the spin’s flying thick and fast, that’s for sure.
now we even have the national coach being ‘told’ who to to select and in what positions…
24 Oct 2012, 07:46 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-5:
and when that team loose guess who’s to blame
24 Oct 2012, 07:51 am
@mamma_lou-4:
I doubt whether 3 people can be classified as a “mass walkout”. It’s a pity though, as I enjoyed Puma and SL when they weren’t evangelising.
24 Oct 2012, 07:57 am
@David-7:
tongue firmly in cheek
24 Oct 2012, 08:01 am
So Lambie’s national and provincial coach have both said he should be a 10.
Lets count how much game time he has at positions other than 10 versus 10 for the next 12 months.
Should be telling.
24 Oct 2012, 08:17 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-5:
@David-7:
They were preachers of the highest calibre.
24 Oct 2012, 08:45 am
@David-7:
ja, but those 3 fat ******** all weigh about 150kgs each.
so we see it as a “mass walkout”
24 Oct 2012, 08:45 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-2: I havent seen Lambie at 15 this whole Currie Cup.
24 Oct 2012, 08:46 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-11:
blerrie hate it when keo decides to buggerup my one liners!
24 Oct 2012, 08:47 am
@SuperStirrer-12:
well, seeing as he only played 2 games……
and when the rugby championship selection came around he was playing 15 for the sharks. And not particularly outstandingly we might add.
24 Oct 2012, 08:47 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-5: Thank heavens someone is telling the national coach what to do with Lambie (and at the same time what to do with Steyn – its a badly needed and necessary intervention)
24 Oct 2012, 08:50 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-11:
@Brigadier Van Zyl-13:
24 Oct 2012, 08:50 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-14: He has played his entire CCcompetition at 10, ie Plumtree has already stopped playing him at 15. He played the last part of the Super comp at 15 because there was an in form Frenchie playing 10.
24 Oct 2012, 08:58 am
@SuperStirrer-17:
basically, “the entire CC”….translates to a whopping,what, 2games? maybe 3?
Also, does that mean Lambie was “out of form” at 10 during superrugby.
and the Sharks still expect him to have started as a bok 10 given those circumstances?
entitlement or what?
24 Oct 2012, 09:07 am
Jeez, there is more Lambie praising going on on Keo that on sharksworld. WTF??
24 Oct 2012, 09:08 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-18: Regardless of how many games it is, it is a new competition, Fred is gone and Plumtree chose Lambie at flyhalf – you asked for Plumtreee to stop selecting him at 15, Im just pointing out the obvious that he has already stopped doing that.
Also obvious was that Steyn was and is suffering his own demons and that regardless of where Plumtree selected Lambie a Bok coach worth his salt, and not blinded by loyalty to kerk, volk en Blou Bulle, would be able to see where Lambie could be best utilised for the good of all.
24 Oct 2012, 09:09 am
@pokkel-19: Isnt Sharksworld reserved for Marcel praising.
24 Oct 2012, 09:11 am
@mamma_lou-6:
The ref….thats easy
24 Oct 2012, 09:11 am
@SuperStirrer-15:
ja, thank heaven indeed.
24 Oct 2012, 09:12 am
@SuperStirrer-21:
They praise all Sharks but the Lambie loving going on on keo is just silly!
24 Oct 2012, 09:12 am
@SuperStirrer-20:
so you say…..
24 Oct 2012, 09:14 am
And, furthermore, if Goosen does ever sort his injury problems out……he’s just better than Lambie. Will all the sharks then start jumping up and down to have Lambie in the Bok side as a 15? Or a 12, or a wherever?
tutututut
24 Oct 2012, 09:15 am
@pokkel-24: Think it has more to do with that counterrevolutionary Keo’s ABS-campaign (Anyone But Steyn).
24 Oct 2012, 09:18 am
Seeing that its Sharks week on here. Do you guys think Marcell Coetzee will start next year or the Sharks in Super Rugby?
It looks quite cramped in that Sharks Loose trio.
My pick would be
6. Daniel (c)
7. Alberts
8. Kanko
19. Coetzee
Might have an impact on his Bok selection…..or not……Heyneke has picked guys who havent played in months so if Marcell just gets 5 starts it would not bother him.
24 Oct 2012, 09:21 am
@pokkel-24:
Yeah, looks like the Sharkies have given up on Keegan.
24 Oct 2012, 09:22 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-26: Im sure the Sharks supporters would rather have him at 10, even with Goosen there (Im not saying he is better) but if Meyer clearly states that Lambie is a 15 then its clear that he wont pick him at 10. so the supporters will obviously punt him at 15 even though they know he is best at 10.
24 Oct 2012, 09:23 am
@Philou-27:
Probably right.
24 Oct 2012, 09:25 am
@SuperStirrer-30: Meyer needs to get with the program and consider Lambie as a 10 first then 15 later in case of emergency.
24 Oct 2012, 09:31 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-11: Brig!!!!! ***eyeswideopensmiley***
24 Oct 2012, 09:35 am
Usually an article like this would be hitting 150 by now…
24 Oct 2012, 09:37 am
35
24 Oct 2012, 09:42 am
So the latest consensus is that Lambie should be considered as a flyhalf first and then as a fullback. I think what is important is that HM should be convince that his tactical kicking has improve to such an extent that he can be trusted with 10 position for SA. I am not sure whether that is the case.
24 Oct 2012, 09:58 am
@John1976-36: He kicked quite well versus the Bulls last week.
24 Oct 2012, 10:46 am
Hasnt Lambie won a CC playing at 10 already. Or did meyer not consider that performance as it was before he got the job.
Goosen is a find that if injury free could do well for the Boks. Lambie has the potential and has down he is a legitimate option at 10. At 22yo he is needing to get the opportunity to make full transition up to test level.
24 Oct 2012, 10:51 am
Not so long ago the Sharks were keen on signing Jantjies. Now that he seems certain to move to the Stormers, Lambie is their first choice fh.
Why weren’t the Sharks fans clamouring for Lambie to start at 10 upon his return from injury in SR? Yet they’re quite happy to shout for him to be the starting fh for the boks, when a few months ago, he wasn’t even the best 10 in his team.
24 Oct 2012, 11:07 am
@mxhosa-39:
Sharks where never trying to sign jantjies, it was him begging us for a contract. We told him to feckoff.
Dont believe everything you read in the media.
24 Oct 2012, 11:09 am
@mxhosa-39: because michalak was on fire
24 Oct 2012, 11:13 am
@Mr Black-40:
Yep, the Sharks would never think of signing players from another province.
24 Oct 2012, 11:16 am
@David-42:
We do sign players from other provinces, just the good ones
24 Oct 2012, 13:25 pm
@mxhosa-39: Thats right, Sharks had 2 10s that were beter than Steyn. The French one was on fire and the one returning from injury played some rugby at 15. The French one went back to France and therefore the injured one got the 10 jersey back.
24 Oct 2012, 13:27 pm
@SuperStirrer-44: When Kankowski returns, Im sure the Sharkies will feel that they have 2 no 8s that should be selected ahead of Spies.
24 Oct 2012, 15:07 pm
To the sharks haters out there: It is fine to not like a provincial team, or their supporters due to competetiveness or attitude, but it is plain stupid to allow that to taint your view of individual players and their value to the national side. If you genuinely can’t see Lambie is the best 10 option in SA, then you either have provincial blinkers on, or you don’t know anything about rugby, simple as that.
24 Oct 2012, 16:27 pm
@SuperStirrer-45: Possibly three…
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