Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Stormers coach Allister Coetzee said on Monday that he believes they are not too far away from producing a vastly improved attacking display.
"We are at the tipping point, and we just need to get the balance right, we can't attack at all costs. If one looks at the results you'll see attack-minded teams are losing games.
"Our backline is getting limited opportunities. We have [playing] systems and if players do their own thing mistakes can be costly."
Coetzee would not be drawn into who was guilty for the second-half fracas against the Cheetahs, which played itself in front of a packed grandstand, and which resulted in Stormers flank Rynhardt Elstadt getting a yellow card.
"The team had a video session and we've all had a look but it's difficult to say. [Assistant referee] Jonathan [Kaplan] was right there and he made the call," was all Coetzee would say.
As expected, Coetzee has turned to the Western Province Vodacom Cup side to solve the squad's loose forward crisis. He has called Nick Fenton-Wells and Don Armand but he'll make a call later in the week about which one will be included in Saturday's match-day squad against the Waratahs.
"Both players are flankers and essentially we need a No 8. Don gives is us a lineout option and Nick is a genuine forager, a scavenger at the breakdowns," said Coetzee. "One of them will make the squad and the other will return to Western Province to play in the Vodacom Cup final against Griquas on Friday.
"It's tough to be drawing players from a team that is preparing for a final, but that's the way it is. I have not stopped looking elsewhere for loose forward reinforcements.
"It's important to look abroad because really we need someone that can offer what we get from a player like Duane Vermeulen or Nick Koster.
"What we are doing at this stage [of the injury dilemma] is to change the roles of players. Siya Kolisi is one such player in point and he'll go all the time, and do what is required.
"But we need to manage players like him or else he'll also break down."
Coetzee said he was very pleased with the debut of Canada and London Irish loose forward Jebb Sinclair last Saturday.
"It's still too early in the week to say he'll be in the starting line-up against the Waratahs," said Coetzee. "But he won't let the side down. He's done so well considering he was not at all our training sessions last week but we got what we expected from an international player. He played on instinct."
