In unconfirmed reports, it’s been revealed that former England coach Stuart Lancaster is in Cape town and may play some role in the Stormers coaching set-up this season.
Lancaster was fired after England failed to progress from the group stages at last year’s World Cup, to be replaced, somewhat ironically, by Stormers coach Eddie Jones. Jones had himself only been appointed to the Cape hot seat mere days before the England job came through.
Robbie Fleck has since been confirmed as “interim” head coach for the franchise, but Lancaster appears to be involved in some sort of behind-the-scenes mentorship capacity. More on this if it turns into anything. Happy January!

I honestly don’t know what to make of this. At least everyone ends up being employed which is probably good for the global economy 😀
Lancaster is not everyones favourite but his ENG sides were always tough to beat and his ENG side did dish out a hiding to the All Blacks. So think he could offer some good insights. Another perspective wouldnt hurt
Maybe that was why the pay out was not that much!!!!!!! maybe the deal was that they will swap coaches and England will pay in the difference!!!!!! 😈
Lancaster just on a whistle stop tour…..nothing permanent ….just a quick cup of tea and an exchange of ideas….
Eddie Jones’ house / flat is probably still in its rental period – why not make use of a free bed and a bit of Cape Town summer….and wind, lots of wind.
Fleckies confidence must be shot by now?
@grant10 (Comment 4) : With the SAB Brewery near Newlands i feel it could be something a bit more amber in colour than tea 🙂
@SheldonK (Comment 6) : LOL…@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 5) : Smal made it clear that when he is around the team. He [ Smal ] is Boss…..and when unavailable Fleck is Boss….they talk of a Collective Management and Leadership…..so essentially nop one is responsible for everything….it is a complete shambles…..big tears coming down here in CT….
@grant10 (Comment 7) : Interesting that. I heard it was Fleck and Dobson doing majority of the on field work. Guess behind the scenes is anyones guess.Correct me if im wrong but with Proudfoot gone im assuming its SMal thats the most knowledgable forwards coach there
@grant10 (Comment 7) : good luck it might be a long season for us all!!!!!!!!!
@SheldonK (Comment 8) : No it’s Thelelo he’s a front row on his own.
@The hound (Comment 10) : He is quite a large human
@SheldonK (Comment 8) : Russel Winter is forwards coach….ex Lions u 21 coach…..
@grant10 (Comment 12) : Ah ok, yeh i remember him quite a useful player in his day. Will be interesting to see what he can do as i feel Proudfoot did great work in removing that light 5 tag
@SheldonK (Comment 13) : Yes…scrums were greatly improved under Proudfoot….lineouts were an ongoing issue though
@grant10 (Comment 14) : Think thats a combo of WP hookers trying to hit the scrumhalf with their thrown in and props that arent the best lifters. A prop/lock/loosie lifting ability in the lineout is greatly underestimated. People just blame the hooker’s throwing or say the lock is no good at calling.
@SheldonK (Comment 15) : well whatever it is it was 3 years and counting with no real fix in sight….hope Winter and Smal fix it, bad enough our esteemed Head Coach was responsible for the most brain numbing boring backline rugby I can ever imagine at Newlands….and I have been an avid supporter since 1976….
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 5) : That ship sailed long ago thanks to Deon Kayser 😆
@grant10 (Comment 16) : Well Fleck’s u21s did run the ball a lot and effectively. Yes it does depend on playing personnel and opposition quality but if he can translate that into the Super side it would bode well. I mean Fleck didnt exactly kick the ball much during his playing days. I still dont think Rob DuPreez or Kurt Coleman is the no.10 answer. Rob at 12 yes depending on DeAllende/Dejong availability. Let one of the exciting youngsters run the ship at 10
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 17) : hahaha hell that was funny!!!!!!
@SheldonK (Comment 18) : who? Going to be difficult to let a youngster run the back line during Super rugby, maybe leave them for Currie cup.
@grant10 (Comment 16) : first you had the backs but no forwards now it seems as if you have the forwards but struggling with the backs?!?! Live is tough being a supporter and it is just getting harder!!!! Good luck boet!!!!!
@vanmartin (Comment 1) : 😆
@SheldonK (Comment 6) : Stellenbrau craft brewery actually brews a Rooibos infused Lager…interesting…
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 17) : Ah…that was something, wasn’t it. It doesn’t matter how bad anything gets, that would still put a smile on your face. I reckon if I ever underwent torture, I would just make myself think of that little 20 second clip in loop… 😆
good move from the weather girls, his a solid coach and will add value, not that their core coach staff is poor, just untested in its current form
http://www.rugby365.com/tournaments/super-rugby/70779-lancaster-learning-from-the-stormers
All right, so very different to how it was first reported. It wasn’t a move by the Stormers at all…Lancaster is just on a tour. I’m not sure that 1 hour will have mich of an impact on the Super Rugby season…
@pastorshark (Comment 26) : So chalk this whole story up as an “April the first came early” story ????
@pastorshark (Comment 23) : best of both worlds!!!!!
@pastorshark (Comment 26) : @FireTheLooser (Comment 27) : so basically he almost stayed just as long in the Cape as their previous couch!?!?!?!
@JD (Comment 28) : That can be my cup of tea in the morning… 😆
@FireTheLooser (Comment 27) : Hahaha…no, I think someone saw him there and the story ran just a bit too fast for the actual truth. I mean I wouldn’t mind us having some exchange of ideas with the occasional international coach…can be a good thing. In this case it just seems more was made of the story than was actually there…
@pastorshark (Comment 30) : you said it!!!!
@pastorshark (Comment 23) : Definitely interesting…not sure how that would taste though
@JD (Comment 20) : They have to learn to sink or swim sometime. These are talented guys that have jumped through the levels and have now stagnated. Think there are 3 SA u20 flyhalves at WP- Thompson, Stapelberg and DuPlessis. All 3 are good players…its about time they found out how good. They moaned about conservative Alistair Coetzee…but then want to shelter talented young guys.
@JD (Comment 29) :
@SheldonK (Comment 34) : wonder why they did not give them more game time during the Currie cup?!?!?!