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Fleck to turn to Eddie Jones

Cape Town - If you blinked, you would have missed the Eddie Jones era at Newlands. 

He came and went in what seemed like a second, but he remains in contact with the Stormers and new coach Robbie Fleck. 

Jones was unveiled as the Stormers' coach after last year's World Cup, but he lasted just two weeks in the job before he jetted off to London where a job as head coach of England awaited. 

It was a major blow to the Stormers, who had identified Jones as the catalyst in their endeavour to play a more attacking and less mechanical style of rugby. 

Jones spoke about a new philosophy that he was bringing to Cape Town - one that would entertain the fans and one that would result in more tries. 

Now, with a few weeks to go until the start of the 2016 season, the Stormers are in Fleck's hands. 

And while the former Springbok centre is untested as a coach at this level, he insists that the work started by Jones last year remains close to the cause this season. 

"We spent a couple of days with him and the brilliance of when Eddie was here was that we had all this knowledge," Fleck said of Jones' brief stay in Cape Town.

"There’s ways that we wanted to play but he just simplified things. For us, at the end of the day, his big message was that rugby hasn’t changed much over the years and the fundamentals are still the same. It’s just having the confidence to go forward and do it."

Fleck added that he had received a message from Jones a few days ago.

"He sent me a message the other day saying that he was available at any stage," said Fleck.

"I have his details. He said when he left that he would be available to help us out and he has been true to his word, which is great.

"It’s been a bit hectic now … but I will definitely be sending him some footage to give him an idea of where we are."

Jones had publicly apologised to Stormers supporters after he left the England job, saying then that he would be prepared to help out whenever he could. 

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