But there will be no room for niceties from the Scarlets back row man when he next meets them as he attempts to re-launch his Welsh career against the world champions.
The Springboks will have 10 of their winning matchday 23 from France on duty on Saturday, while Warren Gatland’s Welsh side, without a win in their last six internationals, are missing a dozen or more players.
Having won two caps very soon after making himself available to Wales, the land of his birth, last year, Plumtree then missed out on the World Cup after injuring his shoulder. Now fully fit, he can’t wait to pull on the red jersey again against the world champions
“Facing the Springboks is obviously going to be a challenge but it’s the best time for us as a team to really show what we are made of and to really test ourselves,” said Plumtree.
“Playing against the Springboks at Twickenham is what you dream of doing. I’m just going to go into this week feeling I’ve got nothing to lose, and we’ve got nothing to lose, and hopefully put out a performance that will help us to build into the summer tour.”
Taine Plumtree on his Wales debut at Twickenham
There will be two games against the Wallabies in July along with a final game against Queensland Reds to follow this weekend’s one-off Test.
“Any team that plays against the Springboks knows that they want to control the game through their pack and how physical they can be,” added Plumtree, who spent seven years growing up in Durban when his father was first coaching there.
“Regardless of who they pick that’s going to be their mindset. Our mindset has to be going up against that and giving it back to them.
“When my Dad (John Plumtree, coach to the Sharks) came over to play us (Scarlets) I went to spend a bit of time with him. Then I went to stay with him in London before their EPCR Challenge Cup final.
“It was quite cool because I would go down to breakfast and the players would come up and shake my hand and give my Mum a hug. I got to know a few of the boys.
“Phepsi Buthelezi is a good man and I’m stoked for him that he’s made the South African team. Aphelele Fassi is starting at full back and it will be good to see them out there.
“Eben Etzebeth is one of the best rugby players in the world and what a way to test yourself by playing against players like him.”
The 24-year-old Plumtree was able to prove his fitness with a late run of games for the Scarlets at the end of last season and said it is “awesome” to be back in the Welsh set-up.
“Our backs are against the wall, but I think the only way for us is forward. How we do that is something that we as a team and a management group will sort out amongst ourselves,” he said.
“Right now we just want to bring back that real fight that Wales have always had. Hopefully, throughout the next four games we can show that we are building into the Autumn.
“If you aren’t a close knit team you aren’t going to be able to trust each other on the field. I’m not saying that we don’t, we are close, but it’s just something that we need to keep building on as we go.
“Gats wants us to get back to being ourselves. We are here for a reason – because we are good rugby players. We just need to be able to play with a confidence that we can show each other that we can play well.”
