Stormers to win first, entertain later

It is a raging debate: To win at all cost, or to entertain? The Stormers, hoping to end a decade-long trophy drought has put winning at a premium.

Despite growing criticism over their conservative, defensive-orientated game plan, the Cape Town-based franchise remain adamant they are on the right track.

In the words of Stormers backline coach Robbie Fleck: "Winning is far more important [for the Stormers] than playing expansive rugby."

Their detractors will tell you they have scored just 17 tries, with only the bottom-placed Lions having scored less. The Stormers will you they are on nine wins from 10 starts - the only team with a 90 percent or better winning percentage.

Fleck, speaking to this website ahead of his team's Super Rugby crunch match against the Waratahs at Newlands on Saturday, admitted that they would like to score a few more tries.

"We would like to see the backs get a few more opportunities and a bit more ball, so we can see them operate a little bit," Fleck said.

However, with the game plan employed by the Stormers at the moment it is all about winning us games.

"Obviously it is a little more conservative and a bit more Test-match like, but we are nine [wins] and one [loss] and we are in a very good position at the moment," he told this website.

"We just got to keep winning and as the competition progresses, the more-and-more the opposition analyse us, the tougher it is going to become for us. So we are in a great position now to add a few more feathers to our cap in terms of our attack."

Asked about the ongoing criticism of their style, Fleck's retort was to the point.

"How long has it been since this team has won any competition?

"Every year we go without winning a trophy, the more and more pressure there is to win one.

"We have played massively expansive games in the past and we have played a very tight, defensive game in the past as well.

"Right now this game plan is working for us and winning us game. We have never been in a better position at this stage of the competition. We are perfectly placed to get into the play-offs.

"I do think we need to add one or two things to our game to advance to a Final and win a Final.

"What I am saying, in a long-winded way, is that winning is far more important than playing expansive rugby.

"We just have to keen on winning, stay in the hint and stay at the top [of the table]. That is our philosophy at the moment."

He said the team is currently in a very good space and the vibe is excellent.

"We enjoy winning."

He acknowledged that at times they played badly, but felt they are not getting enough credit for the good moments.

"The first 40 minutes [against the Cheetahs] last week was excellent ... it was clinical - 16-0 up with only three errors.

"The second 40 was probably the worst 40 minutes we played to date. It was 13 errors on attack, six set-piece attacking losses [turnover ball] and 14 points down.

"People tend to focus on those 40 minutes and not how well we have done.

"For us, we have to keep winning, the team is in a great space.

"Obviously the team would like to score more tries and they know that and we will. There is a guarantee that we will score more tries, but it is also a case of putting 80 minutes together instead of 20 minutes here and 20 minutes there, like we have done pretty much most of the season."

While the Stormers boast one of the best defensive records in the competition and will obviously back themselves to knock over the Waratahs at Newlands on Saturday, Fleck said the visitors do pose a very real threat to the men from Cape Town.

"They are improving every week and they are getting all their big names back," he said of the Tahs.

"They are a tough side - they haven't been hammered by anybody except maybe the Chiefs [lost 13-30] and the Brumbies [lost 6-23].

"The rest of their games have been close," Fleck said of a Waratah team who lost by no more than four points in any of the other defeats.

"He also spoke of their "massive" set piece.

"They are extremely strong up front ... great line-out, great scrum, some talented backs, good kicking game. They are similar to us in many respects.

"Obviously they haven't performed to their best, that is why they are 11th [on the standings].

"However, they are a lot better than their position on the table suggests."

By Jan de Koning