Stormers coach Allister Coetzee says the key to beating the Crusaders in Friday’s big Super 14 clash at Newlands is to be “selfish when we have ball-in-hand”.

The Stormers made a number of handling errors in good attacking positions during last week’s 16-13 defeat to the Reds in Brisbane, but now that they are back in Cape Town, Coetzee expects his team’s performance levels to lift significantly higher.

“Game discipline is what we had against the Chiefs and Blues, where we out-worked them in terms of our attack and being in a better position to use the ball effectively. It is something that we maybe lacked against the Reds,” Coetzee said at a press conference in Bellville yesterday.

“We didn’t go out and work them enough on attack, and be clinical. I think if we up that this week, and make sure that, because they always have a strong d-line, with one of the best defences in the competition, you have to do something extra and out-work them.

“Our execution in terms of our kicking let us down as well. Last week, the execution was not as good as we know it can be. We don’t need to change much. If we had taken our opportunities, we would’ve won the game.

“We have to be selfish when we have ball-in-hand against the Crusaders. We have to respect the ball and not give them anything. That’s one way of making them defend, if you look after your ball.”

And after the Western Force pulled off a major surprise by beating the Crusaders at the weekend, Coetzee has found some pointers that his team can use.

“What the Force did well at the weekend was to keep ball-in-hand very, very well, and that is the thing that I am talking about here,” he said.

“They played cleverly. They don’t just kick the ball after the first phase. They work the Crusaders a bit before they can hit the grass at the back. The Force also put the Crusaders under a lot of pressure with an aggressive defence, and that is something that we are good at.”

Then, of course, there is what Coetzee called the “Carter factor”. All Black superstar flyhalf Dan Carter has been dogged by injury and patchy form this season, but has become the leading points-scorer in Super rugby history. All Black coach Graham Henry said last week that “Dan is a class act, probably having a wee bit of a flat patch”.

But Carter’s halfback combination with All Black scrumhalf Andy Ellis will be one of the main obstacles for the Stormers to overcome. “We know how the Crusaders play. They have a very low error rate, they execute well and obviously the Carter factor. Like all players, once there is pressure on them, you make mistakes,” Coetzee said.

“It’s going to be a pressure game. It will come down to the composure we have under pressure, compared to their nine and ten and how they handle that pressure.

 We realise the threat of Carter, but we are not going to focus on him only.”

Coetzee is on the lookout for another prop after loosehead JC Kritzinger, who can cover tighthead too, was yesterday ruled out of Friday’s game with a calf injury. Coetzee said that JD Moller is likely to wear the No 1 jersey, with Argentinian Eusebio Guinazu coming on to the bench.

The Stormers’ two injured fullbacks, Joe Pietersen (hip) and Conrad Jantjes (broken leg), are making good progress in their rehabilitation.

Jantjes will train with the Stormers squad today, although he is unlikely to be considered for selection as he hasn’t had any gametime and has taken minimal contact in training.
Controversial Australian referee Stuart Dickinson will be in charge of Friday’s match. He also handled the Stormers games against the Force and Blues this season.