Stormers' pre-season balancing act
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Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has plenty of different boxes he needs to tick in their three warm-up matches.
Coetzee's team will be desperate to avoid the type of horror start to the season that they endured last year, so the focus of the three matches against South Western Districts, the Cheetahs and Boland will be to make sure that everything is in place when they travel to Loftus to face the Bulls in their first game of the season.
Whilst it is vital that they are up to speed on the different aspects of their game from a team perspective, there are also the needs of the individual players to consider and how much game-time they need in the build-up to the season.
Coetzee said that the general rule for his frontline players is that they need around two hours of game-time each before the season starts, which he believes is enough to 'break them in'.
"I believe that between 100 and 120 minutes of game-time under the belt for any player would be the minimum requirement to face Super Rugby opposition.
"The big thing is that come 14th of February we don't want to have medically fit players, but players who are really game-fit, mentally-fit – the whole package," he said.
Apart from getting his first-choice players to where they want to be, the warm-up games also offer a chance for fringe players to show that they are ready to make the step up, and Coetzee said that although he already has a clear idea of who his best players are he will use the opportunity to take a closer look at the depth available to him.
"As coaches we have got a great understanding of our best 26, and then the youngsters who have joined us will get an opportunity in one of the friendlies to show that they are up to speed and ready to be part of the squad and back up.
"Saturday will be the first hit-out for the players, and it will be completely different from training. The big thing is the game-time with other smaller objectives as well," he explained.
As a result the team to face South Western Districts this weekend features a mix of established players shaking off the cobwebs and youngsters out to make an impression.
The major challenge for Coetzee will be to put what they have been training into practice under pressure while constantly changing the combinations that need to implement those plans.
By Michael de Vries
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