Bennet Signed

[djphilp]

Watching Bennett for Glasgow this afternoon v the Dragons, getting him into an Edinburgh shirt can't come soon enough.

My thoughts exactly.

[Tichtheid]

Bennett could be excellent for us, but Cockers needs to get that pack firing, if he does everyone across the backline will suddenly look several times better than they do

[bignose]

Bennett could be excellent for us, but Cockers needs to get that pack firing, if he does everyone across the backline will suddenly look several times better than they do

Not if they don't introduce any kind of angles of running with dummy runners to confuse defences. We've been in positions where our forwards are winning ball but there's nothing of any consequence in our back play. I honestly don't think the forwards is our major failing.

[Friday Knight Lights]

Bennett could be excellent for us, but Cockers needs to get that pack firing, if he does everyone across the backline will suddenly look several times better than they do

Not if they don't introduce any kind of angles of running with dummy runners to confuse defences. We've been in positions where our forwards are winning ball but there's nothing of any consequence in our back play. I honestly don't think the forwards is our major failing.

If you give backs a one on one in defence they'll look better than against a defensive line that can drift and set properly because the forwards aren't punching holes that give us quick ball and sucking the defence in or making the defence scramble.

On a side not I watched the game today, the Dragons were horrendously poor but they're on the same amount of points as us! Blimey we're having a shocker!

[Tichtheid]

If you give backs a one on one in defence they'll look better than against a defensive line that can drift and set properly because the forwards aren't punching holes that give us quick ball and sucking the defence in or making the defence scramble.

On a side not I watched the game today, the Dragons were horrendously poor but they're on the same amount of points as us! Blimey we're having a shocker!

Exactly, Glasgow's game is based around quick front foot ball and it makes it so much easier for backs running at defenders who are retreating and trying to reset their structure than if you take an age to get the ball out to the fly half.

Glasgow's full game at Leicester is on youtube, it's worth watching again. It almost didn't matter what number the player had on his back the gameplan was the same for everyone, quick ball, knock it up the middle tying them in then get it wide before Tigers are set up to defend. It wasn't particularly fancy running lines, it was supremely accurate and done at very high pace.

Looking through our pack I think we have the players to play that game, but it comes with confidence and we are sadly lacking in that.

[dolf_lundgren]

Confidence is such a difficult thing to pin down, it is the last thing that comes together usuall.

If I was to pin down our failings to one thing (I know it is a multitude) it is ruck clearance and protecting the ball. It is what is slowing out ball down, putting pressure on scrum halves, meaning we have to start agin off a static pod or giving poor ball to the backs. If we could sort that out and generate quick ball then we have choices. It hasnt seemed to matter who has played either it has been an issue. It was a major issue for Scotland which seems to have been sorted out. It is why we have so much possession but cant do anything with it. It totally negates the strength of SHC in breaking.

If we coudl do that then we can start to look at offloading but you cant do it off static ball as it is too risky and you re playing in front of the defence. Coman and Bresler were probably the best we had for clearing rucks and they have not be around this year. We need to get Ritchie, Toolis etc into that mould to do the job. Currently our back row blend is not giving us that. Mckenzie is ok but not helped by getting penalised for doing what every other forward does in the pro 12 and gets away with!

[Tichtheid]

Confidence is such a difficult thing to pin down, it is the last thing that comes together usuall.

If I was to pin down our failings to one thing (I know it is a multitude) it is ruck clearance and protecting the ball. It is what is slowing out ball down, putting pressure on scrum halves, meaning we have to start agin off a static pod or giving poor ball to the backs. If we could sort that out and generate quick ball then we have choices. It hasnt seemed to matter who has played either it has been an issue. It was a major issue for Scotland which seems to have been sorted out. It is why we have so much possession but cant do anything with it. It totally negates the strength of SHC in breaking.

If we coudl do that then we can start to look at offloading but you cant do it off static ball as it is too risky and you re playing in front of the defence. Coman and Bresler were probably the best we had for clearing rucks and they have not be around this year. We need to get Ritchie, Toolis etc into that mould to do the job. Currently our back row blend is not giving us that. Mckenzie is ok but not helped by getting penalised for doing what every other forward does in the pro 12 and gets away with!

The quick clear out and quick clean ball is what I meant up there when I said get the pack firing, a strong set piece should be a given - I wasn't clear at all and "firing" is a pretty useless term as it doesn't mean anything - soz

[Friday Knight Lights]

If you give backs a one on one in defence they'll look better than against a defensive line that can drift and set properly because the forwards aren't punching holes that give us quick ball and sucking the defence in or making the defence scramble.

On a side not I watched the game today, the Dragons were horrendously poor but they're on the same amount of points as us! Blimey we're having a shocker!

Exactly, Glasgow's game is based around quick front foot ball and it makes it so much easier for backs running at defenders who are retreating and trying to reset their structure than if you take an age to get the ball out to the fly half.

Glasgow's full game at Leicester is on youtube, it's worth watching again. It almost didn't matter what number the player had on his back the gameplan was the same for everyone, quick ball, knock it up the middle tying them in then get it wide before Tigers are set up to defend. It wasn't particularly fancy running lines, it was supremely accurate and done at very high pace.

Looking through our pack I think we have the players to play that game, but it comes with confidence and we are sadly lacking in that.

That is what stuck out to me watching the Glasgow Champions Cup games; their pack was extremely impressive around the park, they won the contact with either punchy carries that got over the gain-line or efficient work at the breakdown and therefore they created space and opportunities for Russell etc to put on a show. Of course their attack is incredibly well planned and structured but that is only possible with the platform they are creating.

It's no surprise that Munster beat them every game this year as Munster are one of the best teams in Europe in contact. Hopefully Cockers follows the Munster mould of physical, abrasive and uncompromising players that win the physical contest.

[doedin]

Big part of what the Weegies do is to pick the point of contact, they dont just rumble it up aimlessly, they pick the guys they want to run at and vary it in close and out wide. They also have Dunbar carrying into the oppo midfield like another forward and he makes yards against his opposite number. The Weegie SHs are comfortable with the longer pass, are all good at picking out the next carrier and keep defences thinking plus their carriers come from deeper and have momentum. They have a mobile pack and just keep the pressure on and eventually gaps and mismatches appear.They then flood through the ‘hole’ and support the ball carrier.

It was interesting watching the Scotland v Wales game for the same reason. We played 1st half taking short passes from the breakdown and trying to get over the gain line, it was all too predictable and the Welsh back row were ready and waiting. However in the 2nd half we spread the ball wider more often from the breakdown and carried into their defence a man or two out away from the welsh back row. We forced them to travel back and/or out wide. Apart from Tipuric the welsh pack were too slow and struggled to get to the breakdown in time. Their front row in particular are very, very slow and got lost in no mans land. Suddenly we had fast ball, played at pace and with our back line that was the end of the welsh.

Munster however are strong in defence and more mobile in the forwards than most other teams and the Weegies struggle to break then down. It worked last year but I think Munster have worked them out and have the ability to defend against them. However the likes of Leicester and the french teams who have too many big lumbering hulks in their pack struggle with the pace and variety in point of attack and both got blown away.

Embra struggle with a pattern to their play, too often it is just a rumble up without any idea or plan of what to do next. We have some good carriers in the likes of Toolis, Watson and Bradbury but there doesn’t seem to be any pattern or plan to it. When we do get over the gain line and have quick ball we don't seem ready or able to take advantage and end up losing any momentum. We don’t ‘flood' through the gap like the Weegies do and usually end up with an isolated carrier without any support. Most if our backs just end up standing lateral waiting for the pass rather than running support lines off the carrier. We have the players and we have the raw ability but lack the cohesion. Ironically we can do it and did do it against the like of Quins!

[adi1314]

Glasgow do move the point of contact well, short off-loads when a tackler/s has fixed the player, is very effective and gives the receiving player a little more time/space.

[Friday Knight Lights]

Big part of what the Weegies do is to pick the point of contact, they dont just rumble it up aimlessly, they pick the guys they want to run at and vary it in close and out wide.

It was interesting watching the Scotland v Wales game for the same reason. We played 1st half taking short passes from the breakdown and trying to get over the gain line, it was all too predictable and the Welsh back row were ready and waiting. However in the 2nd half we spread the ball wider more often from the breakdown and carried into their defence a man or two out away from the welsh back row. We forced them to travel back and/or out wide. Apart from Tipuric the welsh pack were too slow and struggled to get to the breakdown in time. Their front row in particular are very, very slow and got lost in no mans land. Suddenly we had fast ball, played at pace and with our back line that was the end of the welsh.

That's a great point about moving the point of contact when carrying which was something Bradbury and du Preez can do so well but recently have become more blunt objects which is a shame, it's actually something I'm seeing Dean do a bit more often too.

I don't think we can learn much from Scotland going wide so early, if you watch our attacks it is Russell and Hogg taking out numerous defenders at a time because they're so good. We just don't have the talents for that.

[doedin]

Agree about Russel and Hogg. However the Weegies did the same against the Dragons on Saturday after the first 30 mins with Horne at 10 and Murchie at 15, although TBF the Dragons were pretty awful in defence. Its what they do. In comparison in recent games we just look blunt in attack and run out of ideas after trucking it up 3-4 times and then either shift it laterally across the backs or just aimlessly kick it away.

[djphilp]

So that's Bennett's season likely over. Hopefully he'll be back for preseason

[Wottie]

So that's Bennett's season likely over. Hopefully he'll be back for preseason

It looked a bad one didn't it? Thought it was his ankle initially but the medical team were on his knee. Hope not both. Waiting game now to see how serious. Don't think we have heard anything on Dicko's latest one yet have we?

[doedin]

It was one of those innocuous injuries that are usually a worry. For me it looked like a cruciate injury as his knee seemed to buckle as he was twisting to turn and accelerate off it. I sincerely hope it is not and that he is recovered as soon as possible. He is the sort of player that needs games to build up his game fitness and confidence. He is going to be a big player for us next season.