A visit to the HPC in Bellville on a cool and blustery April afternoon would have brought some much needed warmth to the hearts of DHL Stormers supporters on Monday.

If confirmation was needed that new Western Province director of rugby Gert Smal will add his coaching expertise to the Stormers management group it was provided as he helped out the forwards and added his considerable presence to the lineout drills.

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The legendary Bulls and Springbok lock Victor Matfield would probably be able to confirm just what a boost it is to the Stormers to have Smal helping out in the lineouts. In 2004 Matfield and his Bulls team suffered the rare indignity of being out-thought and out-jumped by a mediocre Stormers unit coached by Smal in a Super Rugby game at Newlands, and five years later, in a test match in Dublin, Matfield was again outdone by Smal, who had moved on to become the Ireland forwards coach.

The Stormers lineout has been inconsistent this season, which is hardly surprising if you consider the parallel injury crisis at lock and hooker. In the recent match against the Waratahs the lineout was a lot more stable, but the tendency for the Stormers this season has been for only one aspect of set-phase play to function at a given time. Against the Waratahs the scrum went walkabout again.

Having Smal help out forwards coach Matt Proudfoot may ensure that both areas function effectively at the same time, and head coach Allister Coetzee confirmed at a press briefing during the session that set-phase play, and this should be more music to the ears of Stormers supporters, has been identified during “a stock-taking session” as the critical area that needs to be got right.

Much has been made of the Stormers’ poor attacking form over the past few seasons, and there has been much talk of negative or defensive mindsets, but the bottom line of rugby has always remained the same – if you are not strong in your set-pieces you don’t get a platform to launch any kind of attack.

“We did some stock-taking this past week when we had the bye. Although the players were off, we as the management worked on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and Gert, as the director of rugby, joined us. We assessed everything, took a good look at where we are, what our plans are, and whether the plans suit the personnel we have, or vice-versa.

“We concluded that not too much change can be made. The defence is strong it gives you a platform, but the focus that came out of the stock-take, and this shouldn’t be a secret, is that we need to get our set-phase play to be more consistent. If you consider that the Waratahs scored a try off our put-in at a defensive scrum, we conceded 13 point in all in that game at defensive set-pieces.

“There were scrum penalties, and we know we are going to have to sort out our exit set-pieces before we can go anywhere. Exit set-phases are critically important, and that is why Victor Matfield is back playing for the Bulls again. When he is there the Bulls set-piece functions. You can see the experience he brings.”

At the age of 53 he can’t consider a comeback to the playing field, but Smal brings similar experience to the Stormers in his off-field role.

“It was good to hear what Gert thinks when we sat down and did our planning. And it was particularly interesting to hear about the challenges that they are sitting with in Ireland. What has happened to us is not something that has never happened to others in this sport before. Of course Gert brings a great deal of expertise.

“Of course when it comes to the lineouts, Gert has spoken to Matt. He has seen it from an outsider’s perspective, and brought in some new ideas. Gert is still trying to catch up with where the team is. But the problems that have been identified so far are the areas that we have been working on. We just have to get a win and turn the corner as a unit.”