Former Sharks coach Kevin Putt has told the New Zealand media that he would be “nervous” if he was in the All Black team that plays the Springboks in Johannesburg next week.
Putt played 52 games at scrumhalf for Waikato in the second half of the 1990s, before having a stellar career in the Sharks ‘Team of the 90s’.
He went on to coach the Durban outfit between 2002 and 2005 before returning home to New Zealand, where he is currently a sports master at a leading school.
“The Springboks have expanded their game, they have become a lot more inventive,” Putt said in an interview with radio station Newstalk ZB.
“You’re seeing some excitement in their attack, while the depth in their squad is to be envied throughout the world. Look, I’d be scared (if I were the All Blacks) in Joburg, that’s for sure!”
Putt, now 60, quite possibly holds the record for the player who played the most games for the Springboks without being capped in a Test match.
The halfback toured his home country with the Boks in 1994 and also toured France in 2006.
He clocked up 11 midweek appearances, but could never dislodge Joost van der Westhuizen from his Test starting position.
Putt closed out his playing career at Terenure College in Dublin, where he learnt the art of coaching from Matt Williams, the Aussie who seldom has a kind word to say about the Boks and has a bitter hatred of the Bomb Squad phenomenon.
Putt took over as coach of the Sharks from Rudolf Straeuli when the latter was appointed Bok coach in 2002.
It was a good day in Perth 👊#Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/WDuljWj8u1
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 17, 2024
Putt said that he has remained a keen observer of Springbok rugby.
“The Boks are better in 2024 than they were at the last World Cup,” he said.
“I’ve got absolutely no doubt about that. It is mainly because there is such a strong degree of belief ... they’ve got such a depth of players in there.
“They can mix things up with selection and consistently play exceptionally well.
“It is with good reason that they are ranked No 1 in the world at the moment.”
Putt is a native of Dunedin on the South Island, and would have played against former Otago and Highlanders flyhalf Tony Brown back in the day.
They would have coached against each other when Putt was at the helm of the Sharks and Brown was guiding the Highlanders.
Putt says he can see the Brown hallmark on the Springbok pattern of play.
“I’m always scared to give the credit to someone because the only other guy that’s as innovative as Tony is (Bok coach) Rassie Erasmus, who is bonkers and always comes up with weird stuff,” Putt said, smiling.
“So, it could be Rassie himself getting the backline to play differently, but I’ve got to believe the inventiveness of the backline is down to Tony.
“The Boks have kept intact their traditional strengths up front and built on it out wide.
“Historically, they’ve been big men that have looked to beat the heck out of the opposition – that hasn’t changed in any way – but they’ve just added a few strings to their bow.
“Now they host the All Blacks in South Africa, and I’m convinced it is going to be a classic.
“Johannesburg will be the big Test. That will be the massive one. It’s altitude, it’s a very close Afrikaans environment. It is very tough to play there.”