Taine Plumtree: Wales bolter aims to prove himself at Scarlets
- Published
Scarlets back row Taine Plumtree made five appearances for New Zealand Under-20s at the 2019 World Cup, including losing 8-7 to Wales
Four months ago, few Welsh rugby fans had heard the name Taine Plumtree.
Some may have remembered his father, John - now a coach at South Africa's Sharks - from his time as coach at Swansea during the late 1990s and 2000s
When Taine Plumtree was called into the Wales World Cup warm-up squad by Warren Gatland weeks after announcing his move to Scarlets it raised "a few eyebrows".
"I'm excited to show them and prove I'm here to stay and I deserve to be here," said Plumtree.
"It was almost confirmed with the Scarlets that I was signing with them, but I was still contracted with New Zealand Rugby Union so I was going to come over later in the season around November once the Bunnings NPC season had finished.
"I was on my way to training one morning and in the gym, I got a message from a +44 number and I was like 'What is this'?
"It was Gats saying 'How would you find being in our World Cup preparation squad?'
"I left the gym and called my dad straight away and he thought it was an awesome opportunity."
Plumtree, 23, was born in Swansea while his father was still coaching the All Whites and announced his return to Wales in late June.
"I was in talks with Dwayne Peel for a couple of months before Gats got in touch with me," said Plumtree.
"In the back of my mind I knew that playing in Wales was an option and I've always wanted to travel and being with the Scarlets it's really a massive opportunity to do that.
"I wasn't getting any opportunities with the Blues so when the opportunity with the Scarlets popped up I thought 'why not'?"
Plumtree's game time at Auckland Blues was limited by a back row pool which featured New Zealand internationals Hoskins Sotutu and Akira Ioane.
"My second year with the Blues I did get some opportunities and had a few good games, but I was looked over because of the competition I had in front of me and they were all playing unbelievable rugby.
"It was a frustrating time because all I wanted to do was play and I thought I was good enough to play, but that's how it goes."
Wales rollercoaster
Plumtree's move to Wales was brief, ending up staying at the Vale as he was immediately on a plane to training camps in Switzerland and Turkey.
"Switzerland was unbelievably hard with the altitude and the heat," said Plumtree.
"We had a week off, but Turkey didn't get any easier with the 45 degree heat we were training in.
"I felt really well prepped and it was obviously a big adjustment coming into northern hemisphere rugby compared to Kiwi rugby.
"I was lucky enough to get off the bench against England and make my debut at the Principality (Stadium) which was unbelievable, the way the fans get around it and the atmosphere at the Principality is just something I've never seen before."
After an impressive performance in Wales' 20-9 victory, Plumtree would start at number eight the following week, a game in which he showed glimpses of his ability with a 50:22 from deep inside his own half.
But a dislocated shoulder in that game put the brakes on Plumtree's World Cup dream.
"It was gutting knowing within the next month they were going to the World Cup and here I am with a bunged shoulder not being able to do much," said Plumtree.
"Courtney Lawes ran a short ball and it popped out and came back in, this was about 15-20 minutes into the first-half.
"Ten minutes into the second-half in a line-out, Lawes jumped and then came down on it, the weight of his shoulder went down on my shoulder and it popped out and stayed out.
"I went from a very exciting moment of being able to start at Twickenham to knowing that I wasn't going to be playing for a wee while after that (which) was gutting; being away from family for that period wasn't easy."
Having been told to 'be ready' by Gatland should any injuries arise out in France, Plumtree hopes his two appearances against England are not his final showings in a Wales shirt.
"Now I've got a taste for it, I seriously want more," said Plumtree.
"Hopefully with the Scarlets I can get some game time and show that I can get back into that Wales squad for the Six Nations."
Filling Shingler's shoes
Plumtree played at blind-side flanker against the Barbarians last weekend and says that that is his favourite position despite being able to play in the second row and at number eight.
Scarlets fans will have to wait a week until they host Dragons on Friday, 6 October to see their versatile forward feature again after Plumtree was omitted from the team to play Cardiff at the Arms Park on Friday, 29 September.
His athletic qualities, coupled with his line-out experience make him a natural replacement for former Wales and Scarlets player Aaron Shingler, who came out of retirement to play against Plumtree last weekend.
"I've got massive respect for Aaron Shingler, he was a great loose forward for the Scarlets," said Plumtree.
"I wouldn't be such a line-out operator as in calling line-outs but I back my line-out work, I think I'm a good jumper.
"I would say I'm similar to Shingler, just I haven't played 200-odd games, if I can play like him I'll be pretty stoked about it."