I’m not the slightest bit emotional after that match but I’m pessimistic about the future.
A lot of talk seems to be about the playmakers and Douehi but the ongoing problem is constantly losing the collision game after game after game.
There is just no upside in a pack made up of Shaolin wooden man Twal, Seyfarth, 2025 version of Jack Bird, Sukkar and Douehi.
You might jag a win once a month if the opposition doesn’t turn up, or plays about as bad as possible or everything goes our way. It’s not like they can now, or at any point in the future turn it around in a sustained manner. They are just so inferior and lacking in physicality that they will never collectively lead us to a good season together. They can’t do that based on their inferior physical abilities.
We have some high quality players, certainly several more than in the last few years. But if you’re losing the ruck constantly the best you can do is try to hang on with your fingernails. Sometimes, rarely, you get a win.
Until the pack gets addressed, there’s no chance of long term sustained success. If you’re second rowers can’t run the 100m in under 15 seconds, or you’re spending your gas making 30m in a set, it doesn’t give the playmakers anything to work with.
Turning the ball in to Twal, or hitting Seyfarth or Bird or Sukkar isn’t troubling any semi-functional defensive systems.
Sadly, the club continually recruits these kinds of players and signs them up to long term deals. Sigh.