DHL Stormers will not back down
DHL Stormers Head Coach Robbie Fleck says his team will not back down from their mission to take the game to the opposition this season.
Despite suffering their first defeat of the season against the Cell C Sharks at DHL Newlands on Saturday, Fleck took encouragement from the attacking intent his side showed in making twice as many passes as the visitors and forcing the Durban side to make far more tackles.
While disappointed with the end result, Fleck knows that this approach will not be perfected overnight, and is looking forward to the opportunity to test themselves against the Brumbies at DHL Newlands this weekend.
“The camp is in a good space, and we are ready to get going. We have moved on from the Sharks game,
“Obviously we were disappointed in losing that game but here was some really positive stuff that came out of it and that is the way we are going to go, we are going to continue on that way and continue working on those positives and keep improving as we go along.
“The players are really excited to get back and improve and we have got an opportunity ahead of us in terms of the Brumbies, they are probably the pace-setters in the competition and the beauty about this game is that we have another opportunity to have a go and rectify things,” he said.
The DHL Stormers coach believes that his side made important strides against the Sharks, despite the defeat, and he is excited to see them keep developing their attacking game as the season progresses.
“I think in past seasons if we had lost a game like that and we didn’t really show anything or play any rugby you would worry about it. Whereas this game was far more pleasing, we never like to lose but there was far more to work with and far more positives,” he said.
Although frustrated somewhat by an impressive defensive effort from the Cell C Sharks, Fleck is adamant that his team will continue to grow into their new attacking mindset, and will certainly not back down from that approach.
“At least we are on this journey and this path, and that is the way we are going to go. At least there is something to work with there.
“It was a loss and there are going to be one or two difficult games going forward, but at least there is something to work with there which is positive,” Fleck said.
Thankfully for the DHL Stormers there were no new injuries from the weekend, with locks Pieter-Steph du Toit and Eben Etzebeth sitting out training on Monday for different reasons, although both are available for selection this weekend.
“From the weekend Pieter-Steph had a knock to the back of the neck so he did not train today and Eben Etzebeth had a bit of food poisoning so he didn’t train either,” said Fleck.
*Tickets for the game against the Brumbies at DHL Newlands, which kicks off at 19h15 on Saturday, March 12 are available from Computicket and the iamastormer.com website, with the stadium box office opening on Tueday, March 15.
After consultation with City of Cape Town Health Officials and in line with legislation, no smoking of any kind will be allowed in the stadium which has been declared a non-smoking facility.
Previously the stadium featured four designated smoking areas in the corners of the ground, with smoking in the stands prohibited, but this is no longer allowed and all forms of smoking (including e-cigarettes) in any part of the stadium now in contravention of the stadium rules.
