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Stormers want to sharpen up

Stormers backline coach Rob Fleck has called for a more clinical effort against a confident Waratahs side in Sydney this weekend.

Despite a spirited fight back the Cape side came up agonisingly short of beating the Blues last week, and Fleck knows that they cannot afford to be as sloppy against a Waratahs side that showed just how dangerous they can be in their 72-10 demolition of the Kings in Port Elizabeth.

"There were just too many disciplinary errors and errors in general last week. It's one thing we've spoken a lot about (this week) and if we can just take the opportunities like we did in the last 20 minutes we tend to put teams to bed.

"We've concentrated hard on our discipline in defence. It was a disappointing loss, we had plenty (of) opportunities which we did not convert, and now we've got a massive game against the Waratahs this weekend."

"There's a real focus to get our discipline right and just to build a few phases and put the opposition under pressure," he said.

Fleck was full of praise for the Sydney team who have added a more attacking element to their game this season under the guidance of coach Michael Cheika.

"The Waratahs played really well last weekend," said the Stormers assistant coach.

"They've dominated in some matches, but they're a different side in the sense that they're attacking far more now than in previous seasons and it's starting to bear fruit for them. The game against the Kings (last weekend) was a special effort from them.

"The Kings have been good defensively this year, up until now, so it shows what a quality team the Waratahs are," he added.

With the Stormers down in tenth position on the standings Fleck is under no illusions about the size of the challenge ahead but is looking forward to the challenge.

"We're really excited about playing against a quality outfit on Saturday," he added. "We know the situation we're in… and by no means are we down and out. We're still keen to do well and anything can happen – we're looking forward to it."

Although Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has called for complete focus on the Waratahs this week, there was a slight distraction for the team with the news that a SANZAR Judicial Officer is considering a complaint of match day misconduct against the Stormers and their team management.

The complaint arises from unspecified actions during the clash with the Hurricanes in Palmerston North last week, but no other further details are available as yet.

 

 

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