Fleck wants Stormers to be fearless in Super Rugby

Stormers head coach Robbie Fleck says that he wants his Stormers team to be more adventurous and to play without fear in Super Rugby.

Fleck has stepped in as interim head coach after the exit of Eddie Jones and the former Springbok knows that if he impresses he could be given the job on a permanent basis.

The former Stormers Assistant backs coach has outlined his vision for the season, which he believes starts with a positive team culture.

“The culture here, I want it to be real and authentic and that is really my message to the players – we are going to work incredibly hard, we are going to coach and play without fear,” he said.

Fleck heads up a new-look coaching team which is working hard with an exciting group of players who are eager to put their stamp on the competition this year.

“It is a new team, a new management and it is a youngish team that we got here. It allows us to change things a little bit and try something new.

“We are nearly there in terms of what we want to do and how we want to do it, but it is that why and that purpose that we are looking for. We understand where we want to go and we want to build a culture around that,” Fleck explained.

The focus for the team will be on executing their basics as well as possible to lay a solid foundation from which to impose themselves on the opposition this season.

“We need to get back to doing the basics brilliantly. We want to build on a good set-piece and defence, to upskill our attack and kicking game.

“We want to play at a high tempo and intensity. It may seem like a risky approach, but I’m talking about calculated risks. When the situation presents itself, we will have a full go,” said Fleck.

The Stormers coach believes that in order to achieve success the players must be invested in what they are doing while also enjoying themselves out on the pitch.

“We have a lot of inspiration within this group and a lot of ambitions. Our culture will be built on the successes of the past – we are going to be pretty humble and hardworking, but we are going to be pretty fearless in our approach.

“Most importantly we have got to play rugby, we have to have an open approach and enjoy what we are doing,” he added.