Harry Plummer's French exit another blow to All Blacks playmaking stocks

By Liam Napier

Losing Harry Plummer to France won’t immediately shake New Zealand Rugby’s foundations to the core but it is a more significant blow than many may grasp at first.

On a personal level, Plummer’s move to join French club Clermont on a lucrative three-year deal – following one final Super Rugby Pacific campaign with the Blues next season – makes perfect sense.

While the timing is somewhat surprising, as the 26-year-old enters his prime years as a maturing playmaker, life-changing paydays such as these aren’t as common as they once were.

New Zealand rugby players remain valuable commodities on the global scene but after the post-Covid salary cap and marquee signing reductions in Europe, bumper contracts such as Plummer’s are harder to attain.

Striking while his form, prominence and one All Blacks appearance are hot therefore ensures Plummer will cash in at the right time.

Having earned his one All Blacks appearance off the bench against the Wallabies in Sydney in September, Plummer weighed up the desire to push for further tests in the coming years.

The reality, though, is he sits behind Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie and Stephen Perofeta in the national pecking order. And with Richie Mo’unga expected to return from Japan one year early – in time for next year’s All Blacks season – Plummer’s pathway to game-time in the black jersey will become more congested, not less.

The All Blacks aren’t everything, of course.

With his steady head and dogged attitude, Plummer was instrumental in guiding the Blues to their first Super Rugby title in 21 attempts earlier this year.

Season after season, the Blues embraced superstar first five-eighths – only for the unheralded local lad to emerge as the perfect foil for Vern Cotter’s direct, confrontational, championship-winning blueprint.

The Blues are seriously stacked in the playmaker ranks, with Barrett, Perofeta, Plummer and Zarn Sullivan all on their books for 2025.

Elsewhere, though, Super Rugby rivals would cry out for Plummer’s services.

The impact of Plummer’s imminent departure is best illustrated by the fact the Crusaders, Highlanders and Hurricanes would all welcome him with open arms.

This is why his exit represents a greater erosion of depth than many realise. The same is true for Fergus Burke’s departure from the Crusaders to English club Saracens.

Plummer is an astute signing for Clermont – a mid-table Top 14 side. His versatility – equally comfortable at No 10 or 12 and capable of slotting in at fullback – goalkicking and defensive qualities mark him out as a highly desirable asset.

Shifting to Europe has proven humbling for some New Zealand playmakers. Lima Sopoaga endured criticism after his $1 million move to now-defunct English club Wasps fell flat, and Aaron Cruden found adjusting to the physical French game in Montpellier challenging too.

There are other Kiwi success stories, though, with fellow underrated Blues first five Ihaia West last year savouring European championship success with French club La Rochelle.

Plummer’s composed approach and comparative size for a playmaker will suit the French game.

The mental resilience he’s developed after overcoming multiple shoulder issues, two heart surgeries and the adversity attached to coping with social media criticism should provide the necessary resolve to navigate demanding club owners and allow Plummer to make his mark on the French scene.

As a passionate Aucklander, Plummer will be driven to deliver the Blues back-to-back championships in 2025 before embarking on his next French chapter.

But in time, once he departs, Plummer’s true value to the Blues and New Zealand rugby may become apparent.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission