Taine Plumtree is a player who Welsh fans could become familiar with over the next few seasons with the Scarlets attempting to sign the former Junior All Blacks star.
The 23-year-old who can play across the back-five of the scrum is the Scarlets' number one target, and could come into contention for Warren Gatland's Wales squad.
No deal has been signed yet, and other clubs are interested, but acquiring the services of Plumtree would be a significant coup for Welsh rugby if he decides to join the Scarlets.
READ MORE: Scarlets target signing of Junior All Black who qualifies for Wales
WalesOnline take a closer look at the man in demand.
Background
It's safe to say he had an eventful upbringing. Plumtree was born in Swansea of all places when his father, John, was head coach of the Whites between the years 1997-2001.
His father's coaching career took him back to New Zealand where he coached the Wellington Lions in the National Provincial Championship. Five years later the Plumtree's were on the move again, this time to South Africa, where his father had landed a job coaching the Durban based Sharks.
Plumtree went to primary school in Durban before his dad got appointed forwards coach of Ireland in 2013 with the youngster then attending the prestigious Blackrock College in Dublin. Then it was back to New Zealand where his father became assistant coach at top Super Rugby outfit the Hurricanes before landing the same job with the All Blacks which he got sacked from last year.
Plumtree has a big choice to make because he is eligible to play for three tier one nations in Wales, New Zealand, and South Africa due to the fact his mother hails from the Rainbow Nation.
Rugby Career to date
Plumtree was earmarked for a promising professional career from a young age impressing at both Blackrock College in Dublin, and Wellington College back in New Zealand.
Plumtree represented New Zealand at U20s level where he scored two tries in five tests while playing alongside future All Blacks in Leicester Fainga’anuku, Quinn Tupaea, and Tupou Vaa'i. He went on to make a real mark for Wellington in the Mitrea 10 Cup, which landed him a contract with the Auckland based Blues in Super Rugby.
Plumtree has impressed whenever he has taken the field but he has found opportunities scarce at the Blues who have the likes of Akira Ioane, Dalton Papalii, Hoskins Sotutu, and Patrick Tuipulotu ahead of him in the pecking order.
“He’s an athlete, he’s going places," former All Blacks scrum-half Steve Devine told SENZ’s Blues Brothers program when asked about Plumtree after a Super Rugby game last season.
“He’s a young kid. He’s strong, he can run, he can get on the ball, he can play No. 6, 7 and 8, so I expect big things from him.
“He was given an opportunity last weekend and he took it. It wasn’t just the two tries that he scored, he cleaned out the rucks pretty well and he tackled incredibly well.
“He made some really strong dominant tackles, and he’s a kid. There’s a lot to learn and there’s a lot to go through with him but he’s certainly heading in the right direction, there’s no doubt about that.”
Where would he fit in if he were to relocate to Wales?
Plumtree is extremely versatile being able to play lock, blindside, and No 8 which makes him a useful player to have.
WalesOnline understand if he were to sign for the Scarlets they see him as a blindside to replace the retired Aaron Shingler who was a key member of the Scarlets pack for a decade. Plumtree is a very good lineout forward which is something the Scarlets, in particular, need after Shingler's retirement.
The Scarlets have also lost the underrated Blade Thomson to retirement along with Argentina international Tomas Lezana, and the very influential Tongan No 8 Sione Kalamafoni so it is easy to see why they would be attracted to such a versatile forward.
He is an athletic forward who is very effective in the wide channels, and would suit the Scarlets style of play but the also has an edge about him in the tight often making explosive linebreaks up field.
Is he good enough to play for Wales?
Potentially, yes. While he hasn't figured as much as he would have liked at Super Rugby level, do not underestimate the strength in depth and the quality of player ahead of him at the Blues.
The likes of Sotutu, Papalii, and Tuipulotu are among the best players in the world in their positions so it was always going to take a while for him to break into the side. Having such a high quality player who can cover lock, and the back-row is something which will surely attract the interest of Gatland.
With the likes of Alun Wyn Jones having retired, Dan Lydiate approaching his mid 30s, Ross Moriarty unavailable, the long-term future of Cory Hill up in the air, and the world class Taulupe Faletau not getting any younger Plumtree is the sort of player they should be looking at, if not for the current Rugby World Cup, but looking ahead to the 2027 tournament in Australia.
Clearly he's not the finished article, and he has it all to prove but he has the raw attributes to play test rugby. He's a tremendous lineout forward with a well-rounded skill set, he's explosive, physical, and has size on his side.
Having said all this Plumtree has not yet committed to the Scarlets and WalesOnline have been told there are other clubs who are very keen on him so he may yet choose to go elsewhere. But Wales have nowhere near the strength in depth of New Zealand, and South Africa with a move to the country of his birth perhaps offering him the best chance of playing test rugby.
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