'Bully work': The realisation that made Taine Plumtree change his game

For Taine Plumtree, the challenge this year has been finding the right balance between bully work and staying squeaky clean.

Breakaway forwards often live life on the edge, pushing the laws to the limit and navigating that fine line between legal and illegal play.

For the first half of last season, the Scarlets back row man found himself on the wrong side of that line too often, giving away penalties in his eagerness to win the ball.

That contributed to him missing out on the original Wales squad for the Six Nations championship.

But, in the second half of the campaign, he cleaned up his act and earned a recall, going on to play a key role in the victory over Japan, which ended an 18-match losing run for the national side.

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He started the new BKT URC season well with a fine try-scoring performance at No.8 against Munster Rugby and will now be looking to have another big game at home to the unbeaten DHL Stormers on Friday night.

Listening to him talk about his approach to the game provides a fascinating insight into the tightrope walk players in his position face as they make split-second decisions.

“There are cameras everywhere, so you are not going to get away with much,” he says.

“If you have a ref that isn’t really on your side, then you’ve just got to understand that you can’t go anywhere near the breakdown, and you have just got to be really squeaky clean. I think I started to realise that towards the back half of last season.

“In the first three or four months of the campaign, I was in the mindset that I just needed to get the ball back at every opportunity. That doesn’t really help the team much when you are being penalised and on the back foot.

“I started to realise that, and hopefully now it’s more ingrained in my brain. It’s those split-second decisions whether you are right or wrong.”

The 25-year-old continued: “I don’t see myself as so much of a jackal type loose forward. I might get the odd one here and there.

“But it’s more what we call that bully work, slowing down breakdowns and barging their boys back into the breakdown and just making it hard work for the No.9.

“As a loose forward, if a No.9 doesn’t like you, then I think you are doing a pretty good job.

“That sort of stuff and set piece are parts of my game that I really want to keep improving on.”

Looking back on last term, Plumtree says: “It was a season of highs and lows for me.

“The low was that I missed out on the Six Nations originally.

“In terms of the highs, we made the quarter-finals of the URC and played some really good rugby that I loved being part of. I found it fit my mould quite well.

“I was thankful to be injury-free, and I played a lot of rugby.

“Then it was awesome to finish off the season with the win with Wales in Japan.”

Plumtree came on as a replacement blindside in the 50th minute of the second Test in Kobe and was to serve up the game’s champagne moment, producing a round-the-back pass to pave the way for the late Dan Edwards try, which clinched a 31-22 victory.

“It became a bit uncomfortable at one stage, but fortunately, we got ourselves out of the mess towards the end,” he says.

“My head was so gone with the humidity and the heat that I can’t remember too much.

“But it was good to finally get a win after a wee while.

“It was a mixture of different emotions – relief, happiness. For me, a lot of it was relief just to finally have that record not hanging over our heads as we go into the next campaign.”

What also sticks out in Plumtree’s mind is the pre-tour advice his father, John – the coach of the Hollywoodbets Sharks – gave him.

“I had shared my disappointment of missing out on the Six Nations with my dad, and he felt that for me,” he reveals.

“Then I made that summer tour and he said, ‘Look, Taine, you have potentially got this jersey back now, don’t lose it’.

“I won’t forget those words.

“We do talk about rugby a fair bit, and he gives me tips about what he would want from his loose forwards.

“I take every bit of advice that he gives me because I think he’s a good coach and an even better father. That’s what he believes in first. He’s a dad before he’s a coach with me.”

There will be a father and son reunion in a couple of weeks’ time, as the Scarlets take on the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Durban in Round 5 of the BKT URC.

With three successive games against testing South African opposition coming up, there’s a big opportunity for the eight-cap Plumtree to stake a claim for selection for the autumn internationals.

“I want to play for Wales and I want to win with Wales,” said the Swansea-born back rower.

“So I will be working hard to keep playing for them.

“I am looking to get my hands on the ball a lot down those edges and in space and be a dominant ball carrier.”

Plus, of course, he will be aiming to stay squeaky clean.