Rugby: Plumtree feeling for Kirwan

Hurricanes and coach Chris Boyd seems to have hit on a winning Super 15 formula. Photo / Getty Images

Hurricanes assistant coach John Plumtree can relate to the problems that John Kirwan is having at the Blues.

Plumtree, in his first season with the Hurricanes, fought through his share of ups and downs when took over as head coach at the Sharks in South Africa in 2008.
The team made the playoffs during his first season in charge but missed out the following two years before bouncing back in 2011.

Kirwan is in his third season leading the Blues and has remained defiant that he is the best man for the job, despite their woeful start to the 2015 campaign, which has seen them drop their first four games.

Plumtree said building a successful franchise took time, something that Kirwan has said he was committed to.

"I've been through this situation at the Sharks in the early part of my tenure there and it does take a couple of years," Plumtree said of the rebuilding process.

"There's a lot of work to do, there's a lot of recruiting, a lot of retention work and a lot of work on your development. So it can take time."

The 3-0 Hurricanes will host the Blues in Palmerston North on Friday when they put their unbeaten record on the line, while the Blues would give anything to snap out of their funk.

"He's got a good squad. He knows that he will work it all out," Plumtree said of Kirwan.

"He's got some good assistant coaches there and they'll be looking to get their stuff together for this week against us."

Despite their contrasting results, Plumtree insisted the Blues would be a test for his side.
"Teams have this. There's not too many experienced coaches out there that don't go through these patches. Teams go through these patches," Plumtree said.

"It's the start of the season for them, they haven't done that well but they'll know it just takes that one win to kick their confidence in to gear and get on with that."

Plumtree said returning from their tour of South Africa and Australia - where they beat the Lions, Bulls and Force - and walking in to a bye was a blessing for them.

"We feel lucky that we had that week off because of the fact we came off the travel."

There are no injury concerns in the Hurricanes camp and lock Jeremy Thrush, who has been laboured with a calf problem, could make his first appearance of the season against the Blues.

The Hurricanes also have to juggle giving their All Blacks a rest and head coach Chris Boyd recently hinted that they may rotate more players out for this week's game.
"This is a big conversation for us every week as coaches," Plumtree said.