Stormers back struggling Coleman

There comes a time in a sportsman’s career when nothing goes your way. The things that used to come naturally don’t seem to work anymore, and the confidence and the natural belief in your abilities suddenly aren’t there.

And it happens to the best too.

Tiger Woods’ struggles are well documented. He was once the highest paid athlete in the world, and the most feared golfer on the planet. Now he can’t drive the ball straight, while his chip shots are horrendous.

After shooting his worst round as a professional this past weekend, an 85, Woods said: “It’s hard. It’s real hard. This is a lonely sport.

“And that’s one of the hardest things about the game of golf and it’s also one of the best things about the game of golf. When you’re on, no-one is going to slow you down. Also when you’re off, no-one is going to pick you up either.

“It’s one of those sports that’s tough, deal with it. For us, unfortunately, you have those days, they’re five hours long. Those are long, tough days.”

Stormers flyhalf Kurt Coleman has been shooting his own “85” over the last few months since that fateful day against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein when he missed four kicks at goal in the Stormers defeat.

On Saturday against the Lions, after coming off the bench for the injured Demetri Catrakilis, he missed an easy penalty shortly before half-time, and then failed to find touch with a relieving kick that ended up costing the Stormers seven points.

He is in a dark place at the moment. But he is definitely not alone, because, unlike golf, rugby is a team sport and the management and his teammates are rallying around him to try and get him back to that player who kicked that conversion from the touchline against the Lions in Johannesburg to close out the game.

And he was the player who kicked a lovely chip against the Waratahs for Kobus van Wyk to score one of the tries of the season.

“The big message to Kurt is that form is only temporary, and that our responsibility as coaches and a team is to get him back,” backline coach Robbie Fleck said yesterday. “He is not alone and we have said that to him. He seems to be wearing the world on his shoulders at the moment, but it’s not about him, it’s about the team and how we can help him through this period.

“There were good touches on the weekend, and he made some good decisions. But obviously you can clearly see that he was lacking a bit of confidence with his first kick at poles and that forward pass in the end.”

But the great thing about sport is that it gives you a second chance.

This Saturday against the Sharks, Coleman will get an opportunity to end the Super Rugby season off on some sort of high, because it’s basically his last chance in the No10 jersey this season, as Catrakilis is expected to sit out the Sharks game, but will definitely start in the play-off matches.

But Coleman has got more than just personal pride to play for. While there is a Currie Cup campaign looming, he needs to show he can perform at this level, because Director of Rugby Gert Smal will be looking for an extra flyhalf when Catrakilis leaves for France at the end of the season.

“This weekend is a golden opportunity for Kurt, because the more time he spends with his teammates on the field, directing the traffic, he will find that form again,” Fleck said.

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