Jimmy Stonehouse
Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse has received a lot of praise for the way his team have impressed this season, but he does not put it down to anything revolutionary.
The Pumas, as a smaller union, were never expected to set the Currie Cup on fire, especially amongst teams with Super Rugby experience and national players waiting in the wings.
However, Stonehouse and his men now sit third on the log, a single point behind the Golden Lions (through four rounds) and many have touted the coach as the ‘next big thing.’
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For Stonehouse though, he is not inclined to take this praise easily, stating that it is more about getting the players to execute a game plan that rewriting the manual.
“It has come from last year where the team played exceptionally well, even if it was in the bottom division, we didn’t lose a game and the team became a family – we have carried that on this year,” Stonehouse said.
“I don’t think there is a right and a wrong way, people will always moan about the game plan but there is nothing wrong with anybody’s game plan as long as you are winning.
“At the moment the Pumas are doing well so people will think I am doing something different, but it is not that – it is the way of executing.
“Everybody does the same things and everybody tries to coach running rugby and exciting things, but the way the players execute it, that is where the basics come from and that is where the winning comes from.
“All the credit has to go to the players at the end of the day because they execute it right – it is not that I am doing something different.
“Just because the team is winning, now suddenly I am coach of the moment. Look at Allister Coetzee, he is also coach of the moment, because they have not lost a game.
“However, because we come from a small union suddenly people see it as something big.”
Stonehouse is an interesting personality, often regarded as a hard-man and a straight shooter he has had many different coaching roles – from women’s Sevens to the Russian national team and these have clearly added greatly to his experience as a top-class coach.
Stonehouse has also won Mr South Africa in 2005 as well as placed sixth in the Mr Universe competition in 2006.
His playing career began as a hooker for South Eastern Transvaal (now the Pumas), he was also a teacher at Hoërskool Ermelo at the time – between 1984 and 1997.
Stonehouse was also the coach of the South Eastern Transvaal’s Craven Week side from 1990 to 1992 and from 1994 to 1997.
He then joined Hoërskool Waterkloof as their Director of Rugby from the start of 1998 which also led to him to coaching the Blue Bulls’ Craven Week team in 2003 and 2004.
The Pumas boss has also coached the Russia Under-19 team, the Russia Sevens side, as they qualified for the 2001 Rugby World Cup tournament in Argentina, and was appointed as head coach of the Russian national team.
Stonehouse has been involved with the Pumas since 2008 where he continues to rise through the ranks and impress pundits from all over the country.
It seems that Stonehouse’s personal theory on life plays a massive role in his coaching philosophy – especially when you consider the size and nature of the Pumas’ union.
“I believe everybody can make it in life, it is an attitude thing, if you have the right attitude you can make it,” Stonehouse continued.
“Sometimes people think that it is always someone else who is going to make it, but that’s not true – you can make it if you just execute it right.
“It is in your own hands – and that is how I live.
The Pumas have recently reached a pinnacle in their climb to stardom when they defeated the reigning, and undefeated, Sharks in Nelspruit last weekend.
“Guys still see us as a small union, and they will come here a little light-hearted perhaps, I’m not saying that’s what the Sharks did, but we, as the Pumas, know we have to make it – so there are different approaches,” Stonehouse said of his teams 32-22 victory over the costal team.
“The Sharks had a lot of injuries, they have guys out with the Springboks, they lost two forwards in the first seven to 10 minutes in that game – people don’t look at it that way, but that played a huge role.
“It is not the money and the Jake White and all that, on the day, the ball is not round and it can be anybodies game – if you don’t execute it right and you don’t do it right at that certain time it can blow up in your face.”
“Stonehouse has also won Mr South Africa in 2005 as well as placed sixth in the Mr Universe competition in 2006.”
Go Jimmy.
Interesting piece, nice to see some background info on the man
Nice article indeed.
While Jimmy probably has more in common with Arnold Schwarzenegger than with Che Guavara he certainly has added value to the currie cup tournament.
It would be interesting to see how he copes with the pressures of coaching a team in a union with money and big name players where the expectations are different.
Hopefully he will get the chance soon.
We’ve been singing this guy’s praises for some time here on this site, I wonder if he’s in the sites of any of the bigger unions yet.
He probably will be soon….
aag kan hy nie maar die naka show kom oorvat nie
Shoo, don’t think I’d pick a fight with this oke.
I think most of us will love to see what Jimmy can do at one of the big unions with their players and budget at his disposal, but I wonder if there will be too many clashes between him and some of the big name players?
Remember when Ray Jennings took over the Proteas? Those senior players weren’t too impressed with being handled like Joe Scmoe and squealed like those guys in Deliverance.
I don’t think Jimmy will care too much about reputations and past exploits of players.
@ nortierd:
ek dink nie hy steur hom aan reputasies nie, dis by hom n geval van 100persent of loop… your choice.
@ smallies:
Presies wat ek dink, so ek wonder of hy so goed sal doen met n span vol “groot name”
Kom ons neem die Sharks as n voorbeeld, ek twyfel of iemand soos Jannie sal hou van n coach wat hom iets kom vertel, hy raak dan kwaad as n skeidsregter nie saam met sy sienswyse stem nie.
@ nortierd:
en by die bulle gaan die ouens tjank as stonehouse hulle vertel hoe kak hulle was na die game?
Anyway iets se my die man het nie baie ooghare vir die blou bulle nie.
Weet nie wat gaan gebeur nie, pumas het in die begin besef die is nie b liga nie, hulle het so verbeter teen die sharks was hulle moer goed gewees, ek het daai game baie geniet. hehe
@ MacroBok:
Ha ha
Ek dink dis nie net by die Bulle waar van die manne gaan huil nie 😀
Dink jy jou manne gaan die Leeus kan klop Saterdag?
This is just the sort of karakter the Bulls need.
@ nortierd:
hoe se ben? die ludeke xv…ek sal wag tot die span aangekondig is voor ek kan se.
gunther wrote:
How will it affect Pierre Spies knowing he doesn’t have the biggest muscles anymore?
nortierd wrote:
Yes, that is the key question.
To use an example from soccer; When David Moyes took over at Manchester U from Sir Alex one of the outgoing coaches told him: ” “David, with all due respect, you’ve done a fantastic job in the Premier League with Everton but do you realise you’re going from a yacht to a cruise ship?”
And he then steered that cruiser onto the rocks within his first year……
It’s a different ballgame… not only the big ego players to handle but also the fans are more demanding, management only wants to see results, more boardroom and other politics, winning becomes non -negotiable….etc etc..
I have my doubts whether Jimmy will cope at WP/Stormers for example…. I think he will have a better chance at the Cheetahs perhaps….
@ nortierd:
I suspect Spies would be the first casualty.
😆
@ robzim:
The first thing he would do would be to put Warren “Buffet” Wakefield and Matty P on a treadmill.
14 @ robzim:
True Rob, lots of “off field” things to also take into consideration.
He will probably donder the whole board within a week of taking over at the a province like WP
@ gunther:
Thelo “two breakfasts” Wakefield 😆
gunther wrote:
@ nortierd:
Warren Buffet will probably retaliate by arranging a Cape Saders hit squad to go and check out how hard the stones of the Stonehouse are.
Both de Kock and Amla already out.
Proteas 30/2 after 7,3 overs
@ nortierd:
and itnwont get any easier when the spinners bowl 30+ overs
@ nortierd:
as jannie nie hou van wat die choach se nie dan kan hy maar op n ander plek gaan speel, die coach is die baas hy hire en fire…..
@ nortierd:
Three meals ahead and five shits behind.
😆
Oh dear Rilee Roussow.
Never pat a burning dog and never cut an off spinner.
😆
@ gunther:
Faf is in some good form at least
@ nortierd:
Above average.
MacroBok wrote:
Nama gaan jou nou kom moer 😆
@ nortierd:
Iets se my hy gaan eers weer terugkom Saterdag aand as die bokke verloor en PW wen om te se hoe kak die hele bok span is 😀
@ MacroBok:
No man don’t be like that.
😆
27 @ MacroBok:
Ha ha, hy is n nag uil.
Dink nie hy gaan verkeerd wees nie, die WP gaan wen en die Bokke gaan verloor
@ nortierd:
ek Stry nie daarmee nie 😉
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