CAPE TOWN – South African rugby fans think New Zealanders have a magic potion when it comes to skills, but “it’s all about repetition and having the confidence to make the decisions”.
That was the view of new Stormers skills coach Paul Feeney, a Kiwi who joined the Cape franchise in the off-season after working with the Blues previously.
Feeney has been tasked with revitalising the Stormers’ skill levels, and more importantly, being able to finish off try-scoring opportunities. And following a pre-season camp in Hermanus that concluded on Saturday, he feels that Robbie Fleck’s team are well capable of playing the kind of attacking rugby that can bring them success in Super Rugby this year.
“I just think SA players are as skilled as New Zealanders, but it’s all about repetition and having the confidence to make the decisions. With execution, working hard on our offloading, doing it more often at training – Robbie’s put a huge emphasis on that. So that you can do it with your gut feel in a game, and get it right more often than wrong. It’s about more emphasis and time,” Feeney said.
“I’ve got to find out their mentality, how they think. So I’ve asked a lot of questions and chucked a few ideas their way, so I’d like to think there will be a good blend. We have worked hard on the small things, especially the decision-making with the backs.
“The structure is pretty similar, but it comes down to decision-making and execution. It’s a privilege to be in a rugby nation like South Africa and Cape Town with the Stormers, which is a great Super franchise. Robbie spoke about what he wants to achieve, and that excites me.”
Fleck stated that the Stormers “had to make some major changes” to the way they do things following the 60-21 blow-out to the Chiefs in last year’s playoff at Newlands, and a lot of it was centred around skills.
But following a number of conditioning and coaching indabas initiated by Springbok coach Allister Coetzee late last year, the Stormers were also whipped into shape. Fitness will be a vital area in 2017, with the Cape side facing New Zealand teams in the league stages this year after avoiding them in 2016.
The fast pace of the Hurricanes, Chiefs and Highlanders will force Fleck’s team to be more agile on attack and defence.
“The stuff that we had picked up, that we hadn’t got right last year, was a major part of it. So, from a professionalism point of view, that was a key focus for us. Also a major focus on our conditioning, which is clearly a talking point in South African rugby – that our players are not fit enough,” he said.
“Skills was a major focus for us, and hence Paul Feeney joining us – not only in catching and passing, but more so vision and decision-making, and communication.
“We also focused on our combat, physically preparing players for one-on-one situations and getting that hard edge back into our game. SA players need to be able to use our physicality a little bit smarter, and be more comfortable in those dark spaces.
“From a system point of view, we focused on our defence, and it went exceptionally well. It’s been a fantastic camp, from a bonding point of view as we have quite a few new players.”
There is good news on the injury front, with the likes of Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Siya Kolisi and Dillyn Leyds all back in the mix. But Fleck said that wing Leolin Zas (tibia) might miss the first few games, although sevens star Seabelo Senatla should return from the Blitzboks in time for the opener against the Bulls at Newlands on February 25.
Centre Huw Jones, though, won’t be available initially as he will join Scotland for the Six Nations that runs from February 4 until March 18.