In the opening exchanges we looked ok. RCG passed the ball twice before the line which was new, he and Tamou carried defenders but didn't get away any decent play the balls, and Merrin was comfortably better than them both. But even then we were still losing the battle for field position, they were beginning sets 20 to 40 out and us 10 to 20. And that was with Fifita and Prior frankly phoning it in, they were a shadow of what they have been this season. Then the dropped balls and penalties came.
Look at what Korbin Sims (of all people) is doing, Vaughn and the like. Just on the weekend there was a Tigers try on the back of a Woods hit up that left the tacklers on the ground and allowed the dummy half to exploit the line behind the ruck. Vaughn then Packer ran through the Cows up the middle to set a try up for Packer. That's where we need to be to be a chance in this competition and we're nowhere close.
How often has a middle forward of ours earned a penalty because the defenders get caught up in the ruck or have to hold down? How often do tacklers not manage to get to marker? How often is there not a set and waiting defensive line after one of our forwards hit it up? I think you'd have to go back to Kikau's debut for a good solid example of these things.
