THE Stormers have not only been working on the mechanics of their game since returning to their Bellville training base on Monday, but also the mental aspect as they attempt to salvage something from the campaign.

Former Springbok psychologist Henning Gericke was at the High Performance Centre yesterday, where he will use his considerable experience to help prepare the team to face the Lions at Newlands this weekend.

The Stormers have lost six of seven matches this season and have the slimmest of chances of making the play-offs.

In the short term, it is just about returning to a winning mentality after five successive defeats this season, which is where Gericke could play a vital role.

In 2007 he coached the Springboks through the World Cup by keeping the players' minds focused on small targets rather than the big picture. The Stormers have to take a similar approach.

To beat the Lions will require more than clarity of thought, it will also require that the set-pieces, particularly the lineouts, function at optimum level.

"We have to get the set- piece functioning at its best again and then the rest will follow," coach Allister Coetzee said. "From there you can launch properly and then you'll give yourself a chance of winning any game.

"Lineouts and turnovers are the best source of scoring and we haven't given ourselves the best chances from those platforms. So the plan is to simplify things, especially when opponents try to put us under pressure."

Coetzee said that newly appointed director of rugby Gert Smal has been passing on some of his expertise in those areas from his time as Springbok and Ireland forwards coach.

Smal has chatted at length to Stormers forward coach Matt Proudfoot and assisted on some technical input.

"Sometimes a fresh set of eyes can help," Coetzee said in reference to Smal's assistance.