Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
Its very surprising to hear we were playing a game based on spreading the ball wide, quickly and at every opportunity with that pack.
I would have thought that we had the cattle with Palu, McCalman, Douglas, Simmons, Slipper, TPN & Holmes to go right up the middle and make it work effectively. McMahon is a very direct player as well. I assume if the pack is like that against Uruguay then we we will go forward before we attempt to go wide. We may not need to go wide that much.
As for the rush defense, a couple of chips in behind would slow that down. Foley did a good one that nearly came off and should have done a few more in quick succession.
We lacked leadership in the first half. That has been our downfall in most of our losses to lesser ranked sides in the last 10 years. Gateau should have been the one to redirect our game if Slipper didn't see it was needed.
Isn't that the ideal pack for playing a wide game correctly? You have to go forward before going wide, as the Fox commentary team keeps telling us. They're big. but they're mobile with skills.
You'd only use a pack like that play a pressure game when you don't have the backs to capitalize on it, or you're England.