Stars’ experience was key to success
IT WAS Liverpool defender Alan Hansen who famously said in 1995: “You can’t win anything with kids.” This was aptly demonstrated in Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final, where Maritzburg United’s kids struggled with nerves and failed to deal with the occasion. In contrast, the seasoned campaigners of Free State Stars strode the field with poise and confidence. And Stars went on to claim their first major trophy in 24 years when they won the Cup at Cape Town Stadium – they did it with a very simple recipe: experience.
Hansen, at the time, was talking about a young Manchester United team who would eventually go on to win the Premier League and FA Cup that same season. For a long time after that quote, the Liverpool defender had to endure quite a bit of stick for his assertion about young footballers. But, while that may be so, there is no doubt that there is also a lot of truth to Hansen’s opinion. Occasionally, a good crop of youngsters can prove to be the exception – but, more often than not, there is, as the cliche goes, no substitute for experience, as was fully evident in Stars’ Cup win at the weekend.
In a 1-0 win over a young, exciting Maritzburg side, Ea Lla Koto always looked calmer and so much more in control of proceedings, While the Team of Choice hogged possession and held territorial advantage for most of the 90 minutes, at no stage did the Free Staters ever look uncomfortable. As soon as they scored a minute before halftime, they were never in danger of losing. They managed the game effectively, while they made full use of their superior composure and experience of having been in such pressurised games before.
Leading from the front was Stars captain, Paulus Masehe. Now 34-years-old, the industrious footballer dominated his opponents through the sheer force of his on-field presence and intelligent positioning. Not far behind was experienced 36-year-old central defender Rooi Mahamutsa; the former Orlando Pirates man was the rock upon which Stars’ resolute defensive shield was built, ensuring that Maritzburg were able to make no headway despite their overwhelming possession.
Stars coach Luc Eymael paid special tribute to his captain Masehe.
“I have great respect for him (Masehe),” said the Belgian coach. “He is a leader at training, he is a leader in the dressing-room, and he plays the way he trains. He, and Rooi are important players because of their experience. A team needs players who don’t lose focus and who help the younger players in the team. It is always important to have players like that in a team.”
Maritzburg coach Fadlu Davids, while disappointed, admitted that, in the end, Stars’ greater experience was the difference between the two teams.
“We have to take the loss as a team,” said the promising young Cape Town coach. “As a young team, I thought we made a few mistakes, but we will learn from it. Stars had one chance and they scored from it. You could see the tension and the nerves in my team. In (the) end, Stars probably deserved to win because they had a bit more experience.
“But we have to grow, we have to learn from this defeat. The players are disappointed, they are sad, they put everything into the match, but, overall, I’m proud of what the team achieved this season: to finish fourth in the league and a place in Cup final. Next season, we have to be better.”
Eymael gave some insight into the game plan he designed to limit Maritzburg’s effectiveness.
“When you arrive at a team, you have to assess the players you have to manage,” said the Stars coach. “You have to adapt and deal with the quality you have in the squad. We looked at Maritzburg and we knew that they had rotation, movement and a good attacking game. We knew they had strengths, but, at the same time, we also knew what their weaknesses were. We were happy to let them have the ball, but we made sure that we avoided any danger. We stayed compact and we defended very well.
“For Stars, this is the first trophy in 24 years and that makes me happy. For me, it is my fifth trophy in eight years of coaching in different countries in Africa.” AS ALWAYS, results are what count in the world of sport and on that basis alone, serious questions have to be asked about the future of Stormers coach Robbie Fleck.
The Stormers’ latest defeat – against the Sunwolves – was their eighth Super Rugby loss of the season, and it was also a continuation of their away horrors, which they’ve kept at 100% this year.
They’ve won only their five home games, and if ever an alarm had to go off to wake the Stormers up, it did at the Mong Kok Stadium. At a deafeningly loud volume.
You can use the fact that the match was decided by a late drop goal as an excuse all you want. You can refer to the extremely unpleasant weather conditions. The Sunwolves simply looked far more purposeful on attack than the Stormers. They showcased some wonderful handling skills and kept the ball alive far longer than the Stormers. I get that Fleck has attempted to take the Stormers from one end of the rugby spectrum to another – from a defence-oriented game to a more expansive, more balanced style.
Fleck, has gone overseas to grow his knowledge and speak to top coaches more than once. And as I understand, he’s one of those “first to arrive at the office, last to leave” kind of guys. But this is sport, and nothing matters more than results. And two Super Rugby quarter-finals that resulted in nothing but “some positives to take out of the game” just isn’t gonna cut it.
There is absolutely no excuse for a franchise with a talent pool like the one the Stormers boast not to perform.
Again, embarking on a new attacking path takes time to reap results. But Fleck has had almost three years with the Stormers, and while we’ve seen promising displays – like the improvement in their skill execution, some good line speed on defence and overall improvement in terms of attack – we haven’t seen it consistently enough. We’ve also seen those promising spells alternated with absolute cluelessness with ball in hand and errors that just boggle the mind. Remember the Stormers’ performances against the Chiefs (at Newlands early last year), the Bulls in their return match at Newlands earlier this season and the Blues after they returned to Cape Town from a torrid tour to Australasia?
Those were matches in which the Stormers produced superb performances. So why can’t they do that consistently? I remember how excited I was about what the Stormers could become when I heard Fleck talking about his plans for the team after being appointed interim coach back in 2015. His talks beamed creativity, it predicted a new philosophy plus a new style that would equal a new, exciting and, importantly, improved team. I bet even some Super Rugby title hopes were awakened after being buried for so long. While there has been some improvement, it hasn’t been enough. I’ve tried to be understanding of Fleck’s situation and the fact that coming in and attempting a complete turnaround on a team’s blueprint can never be easy. But we’ve also seen what John Mitchell has done with the Bulls – who were the kings of “traditional strengths” in South African rugby – and how he’s turned them into an attacking unit that has produced play that’s even resulted in their locks being likened to Kiwi second-rowers when it comes to skills. And he did all that in a couple of months. So it can be done. At the end of the day, you just need the right coach to do it, and you need that just as much as you need the right guys to recognise and enable that coach.
The Stormers need a coach who can manage them, a coach who can help all that talent gel as a unit, and a coach who can bring the best out of the many talented players Fleck has. They need a coach who can add that something extra. And as much as Fleck should be given credit for trying, the ever-widening cracks are starting to show that he might not be that man.