Deus Dat Incrementum wrote:
If we are to try and close the gap on Australia in the international game then we have to implement this. If anybody watched the Bronco"s v Eels game at the weekend, the broncos had a tonne of pressure on their own line for the first 20 mins of the second half (I think the first PTB in the Eels half was after 60mins) but the difference in fitness levels and decision making under fatigue was massive compared to super league. It is massively frustrating when a team is is happy to give away a penalty knowing they will get 20-30second breather and reset their line
You've nailed it in your first sentence, DDI
Whenever we play them, the gulf is highlighted.
You don't see it, when their club sides play each other. They play to (reasonably) the same standard. Yet when it's at Test level, their PTBs are immeasurably quicker than ours. Add to this (I've been banging the drum about these for decades), they pass properly ie easy to catch, and they tackle properly. That's why we've not won a Test series for 50 years. Basic rugby.
If you're reaching for a pass, you have less time to adjust and send a decent pass out, yourself. Simple.