How bad was our decision to go for the two early in the game. Dropped the restart and conceded points for a while after that. I hope we play a bit more aggressively in the future when we're on top.
I've always disliked taking the shot for goal early on (when the scoreline itself is generally meaningless), because I believe there are significant advantages to gain worth more than the 2 points. That's the time in the game where momentum is there to be won, fatiguing your opposition (especially the forwards) is highly valuable, field position combined with possession can build up sustained pressure that helps the team get on top, both directly and indirectly.
In a weird way the best case scenario is not actually scoring a try straight from the tap. It's getting a few repeat sets, running them ragged, building pressure and then eventually scoring the try when they're out on their feet. Then you get the ball back and you've got 6 points as well as a physical advantage. I like seeing a team turn the screws slowly, and you often get the rewards in a burst either shortly afterwards or at the back end of the half.
Taking the 2 points feels like letting your opponent off the hook. The 2 points doesn't bother them, they get to regroup with energy in the tank, and very often they're down your end a minute later piling on the pressure that should've been the other way around. On this occasion we won the game easily, but that period after the penalty goal was our worst 5-10 minutes.
