Stormers go on the offensive
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee hit back at critics of his team's supposed inability to score tries.
Coetzee, speaking ahead of their final match on their Australasian tour, against the Rebels in Melbourne on Friday, said there is "nothing wrong" with the team's attacking systems.
The Stormers, hovering in 10th place and with no more than a remote chance to make the play-offs, have scored just 17 tries in their 10 matches this season.
However, Coetzee felt it was individual errors, rather than issues with the team's systems on attack, that are hampering them.
"The one thing that stands out like a sore finger is our [lack of] continuity," Coetzee said from the team's training base in Australia.
"We again created opportunities, we just couldn't finish them off. When we take the ball through phases we lose it as a result of a knock-on or turn it over at the breakdown – that is what is hampering us at this stage."
He strongly dismissed the suggestion that the lack of tries is the result if issues with the team's systems on attack.
"Actually there is nothing wrong with our structures, because the structures get us there [into position]," Coetzee said, adding: "It creates opportunities for us.
"Mostly it is individual errors that happen [and stop the move] – when there is a knock-on [close to the line or under the posts] it has nothing to do with our structures [on attack].
"In fact our structures … if they don't create those opportunities for us, then I would have had a problem.
"As I said, it is a matter of taking those opportunities we create and that is the real problem – those errors often happen at critical stages."
Coetzee described the Rebels as a team with a "massive attacking mindset".
"It is almost an 'all-or-nothing' approach," the Stormers mentor said, adding: "While they do pose a big threat to our defence, we also see a big opportunity if they should turn the ball over.
"That is one aspect we have worked on, making sure we utilise that possession and not just kick it away. We have to make sure we have a go and see how it turns out."
He said the Stormers will not adopt a similar all-or-nothing approach, despite their precarious position on the standings.
"I feel we are in a way making progress, taking little steps with certain things. We just want to improve on that.
"I think we were a bit too quick to kick possession away from turnovers this [past] week.
"That is what our defence creates for us, turnover possession.
"I feel that with ball in hand we can be better, assess the situation before we kick it away ."
