AViewFromLe2 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 20, 2023 12:49 pm
Dickens is absent on leave atm.
I think Saturday showed the importance of Dan Kelly to the team in how he distributes the ball and works with Pollard to get the ball wider, whilst still fixing the defence in the midfield. It is very noticeable that Pollard plays his best rugby, and by association, so do we, when we have had Kelly or Gopperth at 12 to help with the distribution. Kata and Porter are good centres and have many strengths but that level of distribution is not one. Our link play is noticeably better with Kelly on the field.
As a result, i think Kelly is nailed on at 12 for me, with one of Kata, Porter or Scott at 13. Personally i think the choice is between Kata and Scott, so would be happy with either starting and the other on the bench. Youngs, Pollard, OHC, Kelly, Scott/Kata, Bassett and Steward, with a bench of Whitely, Shillock, Kata/Scott for me.
If Montoya is back on Saturday, then the extra physicality that he brings possibly means you can play Scott from the start. If Montoya is unavailable or only on the bench, then I would lean towards starting Kata for the extra bulk he brings.
Worryingly, we don't really have another 12 who can link play like Kelly in the Senior squad, in that second distributor mould. We do have Woodward who looks like he fits that brief but he is only 19 (i think), tough ask to rely on him when he's so young.
Couple of points
1. Dickens - seems odd timing to take a holiday just when the squad regathers, unless it is for some other reason he's on leave, which may tie in to rumours of us looking to replace him. I hope whatever it is gets resolved quickly.
2. A distributor 12, I wonder if this is why Atkinson made a few appearances there off the bench last season, to help plug that gap?
Used to run around with an 11, 14 or 15 on my back.
AViewFromLe2 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 20, 2023 12:49 pm
Dickens is absent on leave atm.
I think Saturday showed the importance of Dan Kelly to the team in how he distributes the ball and works with Pollard to get the ball wider, whilst still fixing the defence in the midfield. It is very noticeable that Pollard plays his best rugby, and by association, so do we, when we have had Kelly or Gopperth at 12 to help with the distribution. Kata and Porter are good centres and have many strengths but that level of distribution is not one. Our link play is noticeably better with Kelly on the field.
As a result, i think Kelly is nailed on at 12 for me, with one of Kata, Porter or Scott at 13. Personally i think the choice is between Kata and Scott, so would be happy with either starting and the other on the bench. Youngs, Pollard, OHC, Kelly, Scott/Kata, Bassett and Steward, with a bench of Whitely, Shillock, Kata/Scott for me.
If Montoya is back on Saturday, then the extra physicality that he brings possibly means you can play Scott from the start. If Montoya is unavailable or only on the bench, then I would lean towards starting Kata for the extra bulk he brings.
Worryingly, we don't really have another 12 who can link play like Kelly in the Senior squad, in that second distributor mould. We do have Woodward who looks like he fits that brief but he is only 19 (i think), tough ask to rely on him when he's so young.
Couple of points
1. Dickens - seems odd timing to take a holiday just when the squad regathers, unless it is for some other reason he's on leave, which may tie in to rumours of us looking to replace him. I hope whatever it is gets resolved quickly.
2. A distributor 12, I wonder if this is why Atkinson made a few appearances there off the bench last season, to help plug that gap?
Having a leave of absence might not be holiday. Could be a range of things.
I'd agree with the thoughts on Kelly actually playing better than a lot of people assumed last weekend. I'd have him back in for next weekend.
Different teams attack in different ways. Looking at how Tigers have attacked this season and the last 2-3 years, I do believe we are a team that needs to have two distributors on the field at one point. Either is through the 10/12 channel or via the 10/15 one. As a result, it probably means that we need Kelly at 12 at any point in time, or Shillcock/Atkinson though I'm a little reluctant to go down that route. Or it means we achieve it via Shillcock at 15, and link in with Pollard that way. That allows us to go Porter and Kata like we did at the weekend or Scott/Porter, or Scott/Kata in the centres and utilise their strengths.
It does however mean Fredie Steward going to the wing, however i'm not too fussed about that as A) i believe positional play is more fluid in the modern so he could spend more time at 15 throughout the game anyway and B) i believe he is a better winger than many give him credit for. He's a big lad (circa 16/17 stone) and is a decent finisher judging by the tries he has scored for both us and England.
We do have options there to get more out of our attack than we our currently, it does however mean utilising the squad in different ways, however the personnel is all there.
Rugbygramps wrote: ↑Mon Nov 20, 2023 2:10 pm
There was a coach/medic/physio who was follicley challenged on screen at the time Mullins made his comment which may have led to the confusion
Matt Everard was sitting to Dan McKellar's right in the coaches box while Ollie Richardson (the S&C lead) was one of the water boys. They were the only two that match the description who were visible on Saturday.
Rugbygramps wrote: ↑Mon Nov 20, 2023 2:10 pm
There was a coach/medic/physio who was follicley challenged on screen at the time Mullins made his comment which may have led to the confusion
Matt Everard was sitting to Dan McKellar's right in the coaches box while Ollie Richardson (the S&C lead) was one of the water boys. They were the only two that match the description who were visible on Saturday.
Just as a matter of interest, does anyone know what the attendance was for last week's "East Midlands Derby"?On the TV it looked almost full but I've not been able to find any official figure.
Jacko27 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2023 3:32 pm
Just as a matter of interest, does anyone know what the attendance was for last week's "East Midlands Derby"?On the TV it looked almost full but I've not been able to find any official figure.
