Plumtree looks to mould a ‘Kolisi’ out of Buthelezi
IT WOULD be grossly unfair to burden young Phepsi Buthelezi with the suggestion he will be the next Siya Kolisi, but there is evidence he could evolve into a reasonable facsimile.
Kolisi is a one-man bonfire that spreads a warm glow across the country. If he stood in the May 29 elections under the banner of his humanitarian Kolisi Foundation, he would be our next president.
So when Sharks coach John Plumtree mentions Buthelezi in the same sentence as the Springbok captain, it is more about playing style and the position the youngster should adopt to propel his career the farthest.
Buthelezi has been playing most of his rugby at No 8, but Plumtree is toying with making him an openside flank, the position Kolisi played at the
Sharks and in 83 Tests for South Africa.
“I think Phepsi could develop into a pretty good six in the Siya Kolisi-type mould,“the coach said this week from Llanelli, ahead of last night's game against the Scarlets.
“He's a big, strong boy, pretty relentless around the park, so he's got a good work rate. He must improve his skill set around poaching the ball and turning over possession, but he's obviously a lineout option too.
“He's had a good season and proved to me that he's very resilient with the number of games that he's played.”
Plumtree played flank for Natal in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and was part of the fairytale Currie Cup final defeat of the Bulls in 1990, so loose-forward play is his area of expertise.
An example of that is his son Taine, who played against the Sharks last night for the Scarlets and has attributed his selection to the Wales team to his father's tips.
It is probably Buthelezi's physical dimensions that have Plumtree thinking he should go the fetcher route, especially if Buthelezi has international ambitions, which he certainly does.
Buthelezi is 1.88m and 103kg, not far off Kolisi's size. That is too small these days for blindside flank, where mobile railway sleepers like Pieter-Steph du Toit have become the norm, while No 8s are also brutes — think Duane Vermeulen.
Plumtree has been trying Buthelezi at No 6 in the absence of injured James Venter and is evaluating the evidence.
“I'm not saying he's going to be a six instead of an eight, but I would certainly like him to play in both positions very well.”
Off the field, there are notable similarities between Buthelezi and Kolisi.
The former is a classic rags-to-riches tale — he comes from Hluhluwe, in the heartland of Zululand, and has progressed from humble beginnings as a Durban Collegians U15 player in 2014, to the captaincy of the Junior Springboks five years later.
Buthelezi led the Durban High School First XV to a famous 20-17 win against arch-enemies Glenwood High School in 2017 – DHS' first victory over the “Green Machine” in 11 years.
He captained the Sharks' Craven Week team in 2017, and went on to lead the Sharks in the Currie Cup with the same quiet but strong leadership strength as Kolisi.
The latter's rise from a township in the Eastern Cape to a scholarship to Grey High in Port Elizabeth and on to the Stormers is well documented.
If Buthelezi can grow his versatility under Plumtree, his chances of higher honours will improve.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus likes players who are comfortable in more than one position, and he would love to have a youngster coming through who is not dissimilar to Kolisi, who will be 33 in June.