Sane observations

[MelChannerFan]

I am starting a new positive thread because of the aggro in the one about the Cardiff match.

I was dreading watching it on Saturday night when I saw the team we were fielding and expecting a hammering. It seemed unwise to put out a very raw side and risk damaging the players' confidence. Much better to introduce young ones into an established side.

However, I was proved wrong. It was a gutsy display with lots of potential shown. The next few Premiership games will be very testing, even with our internationals back.

The forwards are now hopefully competitive to give our talented backs a chance but the scrum seems to much less effective than it was last season and we concede too many penalties. If these problems can be sorted there is hope.

[JP14]

Much of the scrum was down to poor officiation.

[jgriffin]

Much of the scrum was down to poor officiation.

I'd double that!

[Mark62]

Thanks for this. I am a self confessed optimist and believe that the corner turning is near.
I am also a firm believer that the players need to take their share of responsibility when things go wrong, it is far too easy to lay all the blame at the coaches door, such as at London Irish, when basic skills players are taught as youngsters, such as passing, catching and one on one tackling were not performed to the required level. This is down to the players.

IMHO a match day squad, such as I suggest below, is a match for any, with the added bonus of our youngsters getting valuable game time in the none premier league games.

Genge, Young’s, Cole, Lavanini, Green, Liebenberg, Taufua, Khalamfoni
Youngs, Ford, May, Taute, Tuilagi, Holmes, Vieanu
Kerr, Lady Gaga, Heyes, Wells, Thompson, White , Reid, Worth

[MelChannerFan]

Interesting what you said about the scrum officiating JP14.

In the world cup final I couldn't understand why Dan was pinged 4 times against a player he had beaten, I believe, when he played for Saints

[Dr H Flashman MBE]

Interesting what you said about the scrum officiating JP14.

In the world cup final I couldn't understand why Dan was pinged 4 times against a player he had beaten, I believe, when he played for Saints

I have zero experience of being a prop but from what I gather if the loose head is getting a pasting, as what happened in the final, then all the pressure goes through the tight head which basically means that poor soul is holding the whole front row on his own. I stand corrected if some old school prop understands it better.

[JP14]

Interesting what you said about the scrum officiating JP14.

In the world cup final I couldn't understand why Dan was pinged 4 times against a player he had beaten, I believe, when he played for Saints

The Beast has only played for the Sharks, I believe you may have mistaken him for fellow Zimbabwean Brian Mujati.

Cole has played against Mtawarira at international level before.

[Mark62]

Interesting what you said about the scrum officiating JP14.

In the world cup final I couldn't understand why Dan was pinged 4 times against a player he had beaten, I believe, when he played for Saints

I have zero experience of being a prop but from what I gather if the loose head is getting a pasting, as what happened in the final, then all the pressure goes through the tight head which basically means that poor soul is holding the whole front row on his own. I stand corrected if some old school prop understands it better.

You are pretty much correct, also the questionable reffing in the final of the scrums by our french friend.
That is not say that The Beast isn’t an exceptional player and on the day the better team won.

I remember speaking to Dan many years ago after one of his early test caps in France. Tim Payne was on the other side and getting destroyed so the pressure from hooker and loose head were all coming onto Dan

[mol2]

If the loose head isn't doing his job against the opposition tight head it effectively leave the opposition hooker and loose head an effective 2 on one against the tight head.

That's why the England scrum went from being destroyed to better than parity when Marler came on for Makko.

It was also compounded by the early injury to Sinckler meaning that the options were very much limited in that Cole was forced to play nearly all the match against tight heads who knew they would only have to half a game against him and could throw the kitchen sink at him.

[fleabane]

Jones identified the problem as being at loose head. It’s a pity the pundits didn’t, and so wrote off Dan’s future career!