Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 29, 2024 8:17 am  

christopher wrote:

Did you go?

It was a very young side against a pretty much starting bulls side, it was literally men against boys at some stages.

Jack Smith looks ready to step up, and Fergus McCormack looks like a special talent!

Yesterday’s game will have no bearing on this season whatsoever.

Of course it won't. What it will have done is present a few unfamiliar problems to the youngsters. I didn't go but I'd hope they started figuring out one or two themselves during the game with the coaches taking them through the whole afterwards. I really fail to see what's wrong with that approach.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 29, 2024 8:23 am  

Clearwing wrote:

Of course it won't. What it will have done is present a few unfamiliar problems to the youngsters. I didn't go but I'd hope they started figuring out one or two themselves during the game with the coaches taking them through the whole afterwards. I really fail to see what's wrong with that approach.

Nothing wrong with that approach at all. Those young kids that played will have faced things that they simply wouldn't in an academy or reserve game, it will have done them a world of good.

[Bullseye]

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 29, 2024 10:12 am  

Seth wouldn't have liked all the short kick offs and drop outs.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 29, 2024 2:33 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Seth wouldn't have liked all the short kick offs and drop outs.

There were 3.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 29, 2024 3:35 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Seth wouldn't have liked all the short kick offs and drop outs.

Absolutely not mate! They need to kick the ball into corners and practice applying pressure from those kick offs and restricting yardage. I've not heard a valid argument for chucking the usual flow of the game in favour of practicing short kick offs. (I'll shut up now!)

[Bullseye]

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 29, 2024 3:51 pm  

christopher wrote:

There were 3.

Two didn't come off. It's not a great tactic IMO.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 29, 2024 4:09 pm  

it's OK if you're chasing the game late on. but that's it.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 29, 2024 5:01 pm  

I'm putting my hard hat on here, but if you won 50/50 short kick-offs (big if).

When you lose them, half the time you're beginning your D set from around 60m out rather than maybe 85m out. (25m field position penalty - can certainly lead to more tries conceded, plus occasional breakaway tries which kill morale/swing games sometimes).

When you win them, you are applying significantly more pressure to the opposition by making them defend again from around their 40m. (this is a huge benefit; negates chance of conceding tries because you have possession, puts the opposition back into hard work on D).

Valid arguments about short cuts attitudinally, and you need to execute them well/they look scruffy. But there is certainly an argument for them statistically. There are times last season where they worked.

Totally agree it depends on the context of the game whether you'd use them. Also you have to be able to defend well.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 29, 2024 5:14 pm  

KaeruJim wrote:

I'm putting my hard hat on here, but if you won 50/50 short kick-offs (big if).

When you lose them, half the time you're beginning your D set from around 60m out rather than maybe 85m out. (25m field position penalty - can certainly lead to more tries conceded, plus occasional breakaway tries which kill morale/swing games sometimes).

When you win them, you are applying significantly more pressure to the opposition by making them defend again from around their 40m. (this is a huge benefit; negates chance of conceding tries because you have possession, puts the opposition back into hard work on D).

Valid arguments about short cuts attitudinally, and you need to execute them well/they look scruffy. But there is certainly an argument for them statistically. There are times last season where they worked.

Totally agree it depends on the context of the game whether you'd use them. Also you have to be able to defend well.

Thing is, even when the kick is executed well (wasn't there yesterday but on Boxing Day they were) the ball tends to hit the floor and then anything can happen. As others have said, it should be saved for moments of desperation, and certainly not used as regular practice. If I was Rohan I'd be avoiding tactics that are most certainly going to irritate fans who saw the same approach flounder last year. He needs people on his side at the start of the season.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 29, 2024 6:02 pm  

christopher wrote:

Did you go?

It was a very young side against a pretty much starting bulls side, it was literally men against boys at some stages.

Jack Smith looks ready to step up, and Fergus McCormack looks like a special talent!

Yesterday’s game will have no bearing on this season whatsoever.

I didnt go, does that prevent me from having an opinion on expecting a closer scoreline when looking at the 2 teamsheets?

But reading further, i see we were trying the short cuts again, so maybe explains the scoreline being a bit wider than i expected.

Who's Said yesterdays scoreline will have a bearing on the season? I haven't, did you quote the wrong post?