Former Wallabies scrum coach Petrus du Plessis will live out ever rugby dad’s unlikely dream by playing a grand final with his son on Saturday.
Father’s Day will come a day early when the evergreen 43-year-old prop packs down with son Scharl for Bond University in the third grade decider at Ballymore Stadium.
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Scharl is just 18 yet has stepped up from Colts 2 to thirds at lock this season to live out this family affair.
“It’s awesome to have this chance to play with my son. I’ve had mates from my old professional days in the UK saying it’s now their dream,” du Plessis said.
“It started as a bit of joke early in the season around Scharl coming up from Colts so father and son could play the last 10 minutes together in thirds.
“It’s just gone from there and it’s been fun all the way.”
Added Scharl: “I’m so happy. To make a grand final with your dad is something you just never think is going to happen.
“I remember being a kid watching him play for Saracens. I was about four-years-old.
“He just loves the game to still be playing. Dad is also our assistant coach so he’s always in my ear with little tips and the one thing he always says ‘work harder’.”
It’s one of rugby’s heartwarming stories because Bond Uni were far closer to pulling out of third grade at the start of the season than bidding for a premiership.
Du Plessis was spending his down time working as a physio on the Gold Coast after his season coaching at Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Japan.
“We’re the bunch of misfits who didn’t know we’d have a team at the start of the season,” du Plessis said.
“We’ve got Italian, Fijian, Samoan and South African guys. We’ve got local boys, guys from rugby league and those who’ve taken up rugby again after a few years off.
“We’d only have half a team at training on a Tuesday night but we’ve pulled together with a special bond that has developed between the guys. We’re off to Ballymore.”
Du Plessis won three English Premierships and two European Champions Cups with Saracens at the peak of his career before serving as Wallabies scrum coach from 2020 to early 2023 under Dave Rennie.
The elder statesman in the front-row still had to earn his spurs afresh from the youngsters in the Bond Uni third grade team. The “kids” who might prefer some dire sugary vodka drink over a strong lager had not even put him in the players’ WhatsApp chat to start with.
The moment arrived after a 22-7 win over Brothers in July squared the ledger after a 42-5 tumble against the same opponent in May. Many of his team-mates still saw him as a coach before that timely night of bonding over a beer.
You may have played at the elite end of the game but you should never lose your joy for why you started in the game.
More than a month out from the grand final, lock Jack "Snowy" McDonald, skipper and social director, settled on a fun punt with du Plessis.
“Jack organised the whole team a set of ‘Road To Ballymore’ Budgy Smugglers,” du Plessis said.
“It could have gone wrong but it didn’t. We all wore them in the preliminary final win (25-24 over Wests) and took the team photo we promised to take.”
Of course, it was the shorts down, “Road To Ballymore” group photo.
The Bull Sharks are off to Ballymore and a date with Brothers on Saturday.
Underdogs? They wouldn’t have it any other way.
