Allister: Team can improve
“We are pleased with how the team performed on Saturday. It is our first ever win in Canberra and we won with a pivot who was making his debut at 20 years of age [Kurt Coleman] . In this competition it is very important to have good depth and so we are very pleased with how Kurt and the rest of the youngsters have taken their opportunities so far.
“It wasn’t our best performance, but we are very happy to come away with the win. There are certainly areas of our game that we can improve on. We created quite a few opportunities, but we were unable to convert them into tries. We want to make sure that we finish off the chances that we do create, we want to show more patience and reduce the number of errors we make, so these are the elements that we will focus on this week.”
The team conclude their four-week trip with a first ever clash in Melbourne against the Rebels. Coetzee knows that it is another big challenge this week, despite the Rebels lowly position on the Vodacom Super Rugby log. He said: “We have not had much of a chance to see the city, but we know that it is a sport-mad city. They have a fantastic stadium and it should be an interesting game for us, having never played here before.
“Playing the Rebels at home will certainly be a challenge. We cannot take them lightly and I think for us, the goal is to improve on our own performance so that we a level we know we are capable of. Whilst they are a new team they have great experience with guys like Sterling Mortlock and Matt Gerrard, so we must be up for the challenge again this weekend.”
There was some bad news after Saturday’s game with scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage returning home due to an ankle injury. Louise Schreuder flew to Melbourne, along with Earl Rose who will cover the flyhalf position. Whilst injuries have been a major part of the tour so far, the coach praised how the team has handled all the setbacks. “I am proud of how the team has dealt with the injuries to vital players. Injuries are always a part of the game, but the team has reacted well to changing situations in the squad.”
The team will take some time off on Tuesday evening to enjoy a group dinner with the 22 for Friday to be named on Wednesday. For all the latest make sure you stay logged onto www.iamastormer.com.
