This whole style of play debate has annoyed me all year. People saying 'change the tactics' and this sort of stuff, how? Why would we play a style of game we aren't built for?
In order to play with width, you need someone who is going to make a break; a player who carries a threat and is going to force the opposition into a poor read. Owens and Peyroux are slow, forget anything expansive there. Lomax is a threat but down that right edge he is useless because any half decent opposition will number up on him and shut him down. He's a high quality player so he will create opportunities (see passes to Fleming and Owens) in more recent weeks) but a good defence looked at our right edge, saw we had no threat and shut Lomax down.
Left edge, more likely and we've scored some good tries down there this season. Playing expansively without Percival isn't an option because the same as above will apply (they will shut Lomax down). Last night, Percival beat his man on several occasions and Swift was either caught or wasn't there. We have slow backs, we lack pace on the edges. What is the point of trying to play an expansive style of game when we have 0 threat?
On the contrast, we have had a big pack and a decent spine. Lomax, Turner, Walsh and Roby have played pretty well this season, they're better than the majority they come up against. Walmsley, Amor, LMS, Greenwood, Thompson; these are all big lads and we've had ample territory most weeks. Offloads promote space, but that space typically will come out wide as defenders are tied into the ruck. How many times do we create a bit of space only to see Owens/Peyroux/Swift die with the ball? People think it's another one out carry but in reality, we've blown a chance because we have no pace.
This season, the squad we have had is built to playing that style of rugby. Poor recruitment, yes. Poor signings, yes.
But how does Cunningham use the players at his disposal to play an more expansive brand of rugby when we have a big pack, a decent spine and slow backs.
We've also been without Percival and Lomax for large periods who are the only two with any speed. Granted, Greenwood should have played on the left more frequently and our prop rotation has been a bit meh, but how does he use these players to play a more expansive game?
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