- Fri Jun 30, 2023 4:45 am
#62395
@RinTin we may have to agree to disagree slightly, but I won't let it be said that I didn't squeeze every last drop out of the issue. In the final, we were also missing Dan and Jean-Luc was busy cuddling the other donkey, so 2/3 of a possible "first choice" back row missing (we pick 3 from 4 top class when all fit) against the best team in the league, of course, there was some quality drop. Measured individually I would challenge you to name any player in the country who wouldn't show some quality drop when compared to Tom (there are very few in the world). Changing just one of them makes that drop pretty much negligible against Premiership opposition, we would certainly aim for "first choice" in the big games.
I'm with @Olyy in that I want primary function to be any player's strength, extra abilities are a bonus. So Props must be able to hold up a scrum, then they can go jackalling and running. Hooker used to have to hook the ball, now has to push in the scrum and throw in (yes I know it doesn't have to be the hooker, but surely the days of Berbizier's comedy underam throw-in are consigned to history). To be fair Akker's darts have been more than reasonable of late, but Creevy a step up in that regard. I admit to not paying the most attention to LCD in regards to his line-out work. Both quality players and Creevy is world class at shithousery too, might raise Gus Warr's game even higher. A couple of notes of caution re: Creevy - not sure how much longer we will get out of him at top level. He is also in the preliminary world cup squad for Argentina so could miss the early season, There is an outside chance that LCD could too I suppose, but looking very unlikely/no chance at the moment.