Vodacom Stormers still upbeat
That was the word from Stormers coach Kobus van der Merwe. The team suffered its third defeat in four Super 14 games against the Highlanders at Carisbrook in Dunedin last Saturday.
On Saturday they tackle the Hurricanes at Wellington. Van der Merwe said he knows people expect a lot from the team, but at the moment he was just focusing on getting the best out of the players and the management team.
Van der Merwe has confidence in the players to turn things around. “Everything is not lost yet. The team must just play to its full potential and be more clinical in the execution of movements.
“At the moment we are beating ourselves.”
The fact that the team haven’t gelled yet as a unit is a concern, Van der Merwe admitted. He agreed that the talented team should still play as a unit this season.
“We need to rectify that matter and learn to execute properly. The spirit in the team is still very positive and it’s the same as before the game against the Highlanders.”
Meanwhile, there were still concerns about the knee injury hooker Schalk Brits sustained in Saturday’s defeat. He was supposed to go for a scan today. Wing Egon Seconds is also still battling to shake off a niggling hamstring injury.
He has until Sunday to prove he could still play a part in the away leg of the Stormers campaign. If he fails to prove his fitness on Sunday Dyland des Fountain would replace Seconds.
