Coetzee: 'Hard work is bearing fruit'
Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:44
Bok and Stormer: Assistant coach Allister Coetzee
The swagger has returned to Newlands after the Stormers continued their amazing rise in form with a stunning 34-22 victory over the Cheetahs on Saturday.
The Cape Town franchise thrilled their home fans with a vintage display of champagne rugby, especially in a first half that has been described by some pundits as the best 40 minutes of rugby seen at Newlands this decade.
It is clear that the squad is currently brimming with confidence, and credit must go to head coach Rassie Erasmus and his assistant coaches Gary Gold and Allister Coetzee.
Coetzee spoke to exclusively to rugby365.com at the Stormers training base in Durbanville about his views on the Stormers and their development during this year's Super 14 tournament, and revealed that the win over the Cheetahs was very important for the squad.
"We were very pleased. Rassie is the Cheetahs ex-coach, and he brought with him [fitness and conditioning coach] Jacques Nienaber. So for them being part of the Stormers, obviously people don't realise how much emotion is involved in [playing against the Cheetahs], so it was imperative that we won that one," said Coetzee.
"The second thing was that we haven't won at Newlands yet this season in the Super 14, so it was crucial to get our first win under the belt at home. And obviously [it was also important] in terms of where we want to go [in this competition].
"We don't talk about semifinals yet, we take one game at a time and keep the focus, and hopefully that will lead us to achieve our goal ultimately," added Coetzee.
Coetzee, who joined the Stormers fresh from his stint as part of Jake White's World Cup-winning Springbok coaching staff, said that he rated the Cheetahs very highly, and that it was important for his charges to be at their best against an underrated outfit.
"It was a big one - the Cheetahs are a very good side, and a lot of people don't realise just how good they are," continued Coetzee.
"We haven't had any discomfort in our defence this season. Throughout the year, and even in the games we lost, we never felt that we were tested [defensively].
"But they have once again tested our defence to the hilt. We've made some solid hits and good tackles, but yet they got outside us at times, and scored a couple of tries towards the end of the game.
"If you look at the two halves, we played brilliantly in the first half. Then they came back [in the second half], and there were a few reasons for that. We made a couple of changes, and they brought on [Falie] Oelschig, who had an outstanding game in my opinion.
"But the fact remains they are a good side. They have a big pack, and they have a good gameplan to use the width of the field. It's not that we [defended poorly]. According to our stats, we made more than 88 percent of our tackles. We hardly missed any tackles. So that was crucial, but we're very pleased," said the coach.
Coetzee spoke about his philosophy of backline play, and felt that it was oversimplified at times. He said that he realised upon arrival at the Stormers, that the franchise had the building blocks needed to create a successful unit.
"People have a perception of backline play that you have to use the width of the field and the ball must go through the hands, and you must just get it wide," he continued. "But you can only get the ball wide once you are being direct.
"When I arrived at the Stormers, [I realised that] we have the players who can really run hard and straight, and really be direct. Eventually, this will create space on the outside. So that was the first thing that we had to achieve.
The modern game has evolved quickly according to Coetzee, and therefor it was necessary to also modify the way that they attacked other teams.
"You know that in the past, the Stormers and Western Province have always played a great brand of rugby. But nowadays defences are so strong. You have to attack space first, to create space wide. You can't just get the ball wide and think you are going to go around players, because the defensive structures are so good nowadays.
"Our catching and passing core skills have really improved a lot. You'll see us making a lot of passes in a small space, and still get it wide. Our guys also attack very square and run straight. Those are areas we've worked very hard on, and it's bearing fruit," he added.
When asked why he thought the Stormers improved so dramatically since those early losses in the tournament, Coetzee said that it was mainly as result of continuity, and a strong belief amongst the Stormers team management that they were going about their business in the correct fashion, by implementing defensive structures first and foremost.
"I think that was [the result of] a couple of things. If you want two units to blend together, and play a total brand of rugby, there's got to be continuity in team selection," he said.
"Also, what made it easier for us overseas, was the fact that we were together as a team from morning till night throughout the week. So with all the planning and everything we had done, we really bonded closely as a team.
"At the beginning of the tournament, we started to put mechanical structures in place, like our defence, win ball, keep ball, set-piece and breakdown. We worked hard in our defence and at breakdown. That's why it didn't look as if we could attack.
"But we knew that was going to come later. You can't attack first, and then realise that there are holes in the defence, and then start fixing that. No, there's no system in place [in that scenario].
"And that's a problem with most of the other teams - they are too attack-orientated, and they try to get the defence right later. We got the mechanical stuff in place first, then you can up your attack later. Players can always attack if you just get ball and keep ball, and know how to stop [the opposition].
"We were also under pressure after playing [last year's] number one, two and three in the tournament, while [we] didn't have all our boxes ticked off yet.
"But I'd accept losing the first three games, and having the position we are in now," mused Coetzee.
And considering the Stormers current form, and the fact that they have four home games remaining from their last five matches, it is clear that they have their destiny firmly in their own grasp.
By Phil Coetzer
