Cape side closer to clinical
13 Mar 2010
The Stormers’ attack has improved but Allister Coetzee says his team is yet to play to its potential.
It’s a big statement to make following a five-try, 37-13 thumping of the Hurricanes. Coetzee is right to say the Stormers improved, as they barely managed a bonus-point win against the Highlanders last week. To beat the Canes is an achievement, but to do better that a bonus-point victory over one of Super Rugby’s traditional giants, well, does it get any better than that?
Coetzee was far from arrogant following Saturday’s convincing performance. He underlined the importance of the Stormers’ defence, as they kept the Hurricanes tryless until the 68th minute. The attack was also praised, even though Coetzee admitted the Stormers missed out on a few opportunities.
‘I’m pretty pleased that we’ve been improving every week, that is important. We’ve maintained our big defensive effort, but we’ve taken more risks on attack. We’re getting there,’ he told keo.co.za.
‘We’re creating a lot of opportunities and it’s true we could have scored even more tries on this occasion. But what’s good is that we’re converting more chances than we have before. We’re respecting the ball upfront, and then we’re having a go, but still keeping the ball through the phases.
‘Defence wins you big competitions, and it’s a good place to start. We got that right earlier and have shifted our focus to attack, and we are slowly getting to where we want to be.’
There wasn’t a player in the starting line-up who didn’t deserve plaudits following the famous victory. Schalk Burger led a fantastic physical assault against a team renowned for the rough stuff, while backline stars included Jaque Fourie and the ever-improving Juan de Jongh.
Sireli Naqelevuki collected the Man of the Match award for his efforts. The Fijian was a late replacement for Gio Aplon in the Highlanders match, and he took his opportunity on that occasion. He followed that up with an outstanding showing against the Canes, and seems to have reclaimed his starting spot for the time being.
It’s quite a comeback after a mediocre Currie Cup campaign that ended in the ultimate anticlimax. Naqelevuki’s high-tackle in the dying minutes led to the penalty which cost Western Province a win in the 2009 semi-final.
‘We retained Sireli and backed him through the bad times, and we knew he just needed some confidence to produce,’ said Coetzee. ‘He’s a world-class player and we appreciate his strengths and what he brings to the team.’
The Stormers sit in second place behind the Bulls, who recorded another 50 points in Saturday’s win over the Highlanders. While the Stormers aren’t racking up 50-plus scores, they are managing to keep the opposition out of their end zone.
‘They won comfortably, but I don’t know if you could say it was impressive,’ said Coetzee in reference to the 35 points conceded by the Bulls at Loftus. ‘On the other hand, they have their own philosophy. They’re looking to attack more.
‘Ultimately, it’s not about the points difference, it’s about the win. We’re not thinking about bonus points and 50-point scores, we’re focused on winning.’
By Jon Cardinelli
251 Comments
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15 Mar 2010, 05:44 am
Jaco went on on Saturday. What a joke.Desperate times call for desperate meusures…
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