The Stormers are only one game into their 2019 Super Rugby campaign and their apathetic loss showed you reap what you sow.
Head coach Robbie Fleck protected his players in the aftermath, like any good coach, putting it down to an “off day”.
While that sounds reasonable and even understandable, it rings hollow.
Fleck is not solely to blame for the sorry state of affairs, he was given the job as a backstop in 2016 without any real credentials – Eddie Jones was on the books until he was offered the chance to coach England (with endless resources at his disposal, I don’t blame him).
Fleck has had no such luxuries.
Every administrator, management team and board member share the weight of responsibility for the quagmire the franchise finds itself in. The much-vaunted defensive system, which for three seasons in a row was ranked number one overall in the early 2010s, is a distant memory.
Rassie Erasmus played a part in getting the Stormers back on track but ultimately moved onto greener pastures. Allister Coetzee, ever the pragmatist, had players such as Schalk Burger, Jaque Fourie and Bryan Habana, but couldn’t get any major silverware.
Allister Coetzee (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
The Western Cape is blessed with some of the finest rugby schools in the country and the ‘catchment area’ for talent is arguably unrivalled anywhere else in South Africa. In the town of Paarl alone, you have Paul Roos, Paarl Gim and Paarl Boys High to select from (91 Springboks have been produced by these three schools).
Western Province at the Under-18 Craven Week are routine victors and the Under-19 and Under-21 teams are serial winners of their respective competitions, yet these youngsters aren’t being brought through into the senior setup with winning mentalities.
Maladministration, constant coaching changes, bickering and infighting at boardroom level has infected the very bones of Newlands. Theo Wakefield seemed to continually survive his poor tenure as president of the Western Province Rugby Board, while any other employee would have been shown the door in the ‘real world’.
Wakefield left at the end of 2018 and new president, Zelt Marais, has the unenviable task of trying to steady a sinking ship.
On the pitch, the Stormers are a reflection of their bosses – like any workplace,the feeling generated on the ground comes from the top. Their costly and poorly conceived choices have left a rugby team and union bereft of any security for the future.
While the Stormers’ 2019 season is just beginning, the pain is already being felt and it will get worse before it gets better.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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