DHL Stormers will keep working hard

DHL Stormers Head Coach Robbie Fleck says his team is determined to ‘keep working hard for each other’.

Having scored seven tries on their way to a 46-19 bonus-point victory over the Sunwolves at DHL Newlands on Friday night, the DHL Stormers sit comfortably on top of Africa Conference One, with five wins from their six games in Vodacom Super Rugby this season.

However, Fleck made it clear that they will not be taking anything for granted going forward as they strive to keep improving as the competition progresses.

“We have got to keep working hard for each other, the players realise that. The only thing that can derail us in this campaign is when we stop working hard for each other,” he said.

While Fleck was pleased with the seven tries his team managed to scoreagainst the Sunwolves, he admitted that there are still some areas of their game they need to work on going forward.

“There were moments which were really good, and there were some soft moments at the end of the first half which wasn’t really part of the plan.

“There were those moments where we just got loose and lost a bit of shape, both defensively and on attack. I guess the guys stopped working really and thought that it was going to happen for them.

“But that is something that we can easily sort out because this team fight hard for each other and they have a lot of character,” said Fleck.

The DHL Stormers coach was particularly pleased with the way young players like Jean-Luc du Plessis and JD Schickerling imposed themselves on the game in the absence of more senior players through injuries.

“It is a squad effort, and if we can get young players coming in and stepping up then I can only be pleased with that. We will keep building and working hard and investing in the young players and if they keep delivering performances like that then we can be very happy,” he said.

The next challenge for the DHL Stormers is a trip up to Johannesburg to face a confident Emirates Lions side, and Fleck said that his side will have to tighten up defensively if they are to be competitive.

“The Lions are a quality outfit and they are certainly going to be up for it next weekend but I think we will be as well, but going up to the Lions we certainly need to tighten up defensively,” he added.