Our play is neither clever nor intelligent at the moment, so we have to work too hard. No lack of effort, very little rhythm.

I'm not somebody who subscribes to 'don't care if we lose, so long as the effort is there', but it is some consolation. Use your brain though and you don't have to bust a gut quite so much.

That bloke who said we're a better team without Cooke - Rea was it? - he can f-off.
Don't know the circumstances of his departure or the rights and wrongs of the situation, but I do remember having a sense of optimism, even anticipation when we got into an opponent's 20 last year.

your defence was brilliant in the first half. but for the interception. You would have nilled us in the first half.

Actually getting in the opponents 20 and keeping possession would be a start. Other than that I quite agree.

i heard on sky that ratu made over 20 tackles for a centre thats some going, wire hammered that side.

would a move to 6 for galea be a option?

It was brave. But you made a lot of yards, got quick plays and offloaded at will. Brilliant defence is dominant - we did admirably for a team on the back foot. No shame in that - you're a good team now, both on paper and grass, even without the players called up for England.
We're workmanlike and a bit predictable this year.

They certainly did, Newton made 31 in the first half (acording to Sky). That's the problem with only having Dobson as an attacking threat.

He did and stood up very well. Him and Welham were superb tonight.

he did indeed, took his try well as well.

I think it was the first half effort that did you tonight, especially when Newton went off. Your defence was superb in the first half which shows good team spirit.

All very true of course.

It's how the game was won, that 5minute 3 try blitz was, I believe SOLELY due to the sin-binning. The idiotic and naive comments on your forum saying it was an 'inevability' a try would occur is plainly ignorant.