Ex Supersport
They may not be in the championship race any more but winning will remain the priority as the DHL Stormers into what a series of what you could call dead rubber games in the run-in to the end of the Vodacom Super Rugby season. (To avoid a relegation matchas well)
There is some speculation over whether the Stormers might use the period to build for next year, which might mean being more aggressive in bringing through variations to the game-plan that has been criticised over the past few years. It has been coach Allister Coetzee’s intention that his team make better use of attacking opportunities from turn-over ball, but for various reasons the instances where they have got that right since the last Currie Cup season have been few and far between.
Coetzee has also spoken about giving opportunities to younger players, which is happening this weekend against the Reds at Newlands chiefly because injuries have forced Coetzee into a situation where he has no choice. But while defeat now would surely be no train-smash because Coetzee is adamant that the prospect of promotion-relegation has never been discussed and if it hasn’t then a miss is as good as a mile, Coetzee says winning remains of crucial importance.
“If you are not winning it impacts on confidence and you cannot bring anything through if you lack confidence, which has been one of our big problems this season,” said Coetzee.
“Looking back, losing those first two away derbies was what really set us back. After that we struggled to have the confidence to do what we wanted to do and we’ve always been chasing the game.”
Skipper Jean de Villiers shares Coetzee’s view that winning remains important and that the fact his team is out of the competition race does not mean there is a release of pressure this week.
“We’ve set ourselves very high standards over the past few seasons in terms of making play-offs and being in a position to challenge for top honours and we are not living up to those standards and that is something that we all want to redress,” said De Villiers.
“I have lived through both the good times and the dark times with the Stormers and Western Province, and having been through those dark times, I don’t want to go back there. So there is pressure on us this week. There is pressure on us to make sure we don’t go back to where we were in the 2005 and 2006 seasons when it was customary for the Stormers to be in a lower position on the log.”
Like the Sharks, the Stormers could probably point to the cyclical nature of the competition if they wanted to, and there is even a good argument to say they are victims of their own success. Super Rugby is a tough competition, and it may not be a coincidence that the Stormers and the Sharks are the South African teams experiencing the most injuries (17 and 19 respectively at current count).(36 players injured!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ludicrous. something is very wrong)
They are the two teams that have played in the play-off rounds over the past two seasons – in the Stormers case it’s three – and thus haven’t had the break at that stage that the other teams have. They’ve also been involved in the Currie Cup play-off phase, and because they’ve done well, a higher proportion of their players have been selected for the Springboks, which because there is so little break between the provincial/regional seasons and the international season has meant a heavy work-load. If you look at the injuries that are impacting on the two coastal teams, many of them are the result of the accumulative effect of the seasons running into each other since the last World Cup. (There coul dbe truth in this without doubt but dont stop there - look at everything)
“Those are valid points,” said De Villiers, “but we can’t use that as an excuse (What excuse its a fact - ya sound like ou rooitwit!!). For us it’s just about getting out there now and proving what we’re worth. We have new players coming in and that’s exciting as it means there are players being presented with opportunities to stake a claim.”
Asked what he meant when he said after the defeat to the Rebels in Melbourne last Friday that “hard decisions need to be made”, the Stormers captain said that he was referring to aspects relating to the team culture. He said his team had had a series of heart to heart discussions this week relating to the team culture and what the Stormers stand for and he is confident that any problems have been sorted out.
“We needed a bit of a heart-to-heart, and we’ve done that this week. We’ve had two good sessions since we’ve been back from overseas. It’s all about getting the pride back in the jersey, and realising what we are playing for. Sometimes you take it for granted, perhaps in my case because I’ve been in the system for so long, that everyone knows when they are out of line and when they are on the right track.
“As I’ve said, I’ve been through the dark days and good days of Stormers and WP rugby, and I know how difficult it is to get through those dark days, and how hard you need to work to get a team to the success that I believe we’ve had over the last number of years. It is easy to throw that away again and sometimes guys don’t realise what it takes.
“When you finish a tour and lose in a game like the one in Melbourne emotions are pretty high. A lot of hard words were said in the change-room after the match and leading into this week. I am confident that the 22 guys chosen are committed to the team and will do anything to get that win.”
Well Alistair and the boys I wish you every bit of luck and a competent ref. However one has to say your chances of beating the Reds cant be too good. That said determination and a relentless attitude can help greatly.
Go Stormers
