Fitness alone is not enough
The unbeaten Stormers are setting the pace in Super Rugby this season and must take a bow for defeating two-time champions the Chiefs on Saturday.
Robbie Fleck can be very proud of his charges' performance on the day; they combined amazing defence with razor-sharp attack.
In Fleck's first year as Stormers head coach there were definite signs the franchise were becoming a competitive force.
However, they had to take stock after crashing out at the quarterfinal stage last season and acknowledged that if they truly wanted to compete for higher honours they would have to marry their traditional defensive strength with an improved attacking prowess.
The Stormers summarily recruited New Zealander Paul Feeney as their attack and skills coach and made alterations to their pre-season strength and conditioning programme to make room for a high-tempo game to be employed.
Feeney, who previously served as Blues skills coach under Tana Umaga, has made a telling contribution and has assisted the players in honing their skills and recycling the ball quicker.
Along with Fleck, he has instilled a belief within the group that they possess the requisite skills to back themselves on attack.
The stunning no-look, seated offload Dillyn Leyds threw to SP Marais - which resulted in a wonderful try - serves as a case in point.
For my money, the Stormers have always boasted skilful players, but now the difference is that they believe in their attacking abilities.
And the stats don't lie. To date, the Stormers have scored the second-most tries this term - 32 - which equates to five tries per fixture and is bettered only by the Hurricanes.
Over and above the fact that the Stormers are working from a better anaerobic base this season, I have long held the view that, where fitness stops, character starts.
You can be a supremely physically fit team, but if you don't have that inner fight you are done for.
It's an important concept to understand because the mental side of sport is immensely important.
The Stormers are a very humble group of players who fight tirelessly for each other and the team cause.
Cheslin Kolbe is a fitting example of a player with steely determination.
He gets knocked down but continually gets up off the canvas, goes again and puts himself in good positions.
And the never-say-die attitude that exists within the Stormers set-up was perfectly summed up a fortnight ago when Kolbe chased back 60m to cut down Cheetahs flier Henco Venter down centimetres from the tryline even though the match was over as a contest.
Moreover, what was impressive for us as the national coaching group was how well the Stormers players, who weren't originally invited to the second Springbok training camp, carried themselves.
A number of squad members had to sit out the field session on the Monday owing to various niggles sustained during Super Rugby.
And if it weren't for the Stormers' players who arrived at such short notice, we wouldn't have been able to train as two teams because we didn't have the right numbers.
The attitude with which the Stormers' players approached the camp, and the way Fleck and Gert Smal bent over backwards for us, left a lasting impression and fills me with hope for South African rugby.