by dolf_lundgren on Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:51 am
I agree 4 is too many but it is not as black and white as that. If he is the one who is there to stop the driving maul then he is more likley to be penalised, it really depends on the refs approach to maul defence. Similarly a pen 10m from the line is preferable to conceding a try, so if momentum is building it is better killed off.
I thought GC looked good on sat, Glasgow supporters will not give him the credit he deserves as he is not Tim Swinson in the same way Visser will always be a turnstyle in their eyes. The reality on selection is likely he is there to do a specific job which is add bulk, grunt and disrupt the mauls. Toolis can do some of that and Swinson can do some of that but neither provides the security in the scrum that GC can, he is a huge lump and is good at disrupting mauls (sometimes legally). We dont tend to breed many massive lumps so when we get them then they tend to play, although Gray snr adds more than just that. If you look at the 2 NSQ 2nd rows that Glasgow have signed they are basically just big lumps as it compliments what they already have, its not whether GC is better than Swinson its what he offers to compliment the squad and for a specific game.
There is also the leadership element, I have no idea whether GC adds a lt n that department, but Vern seems fairly sure and I am willing to accept he may know a little more than me!