Our forward pack is so strong this year, and we have some incredible backline players too - for mine, we don't need an elaborate, over the top game plan each week.
As others have mentioned, we need to respect the ball a lot more, and stop trying to force plays early in the tackle count. With the strength of our forwards, if we can dominate possession and complete our sets, it's only a matter of time before the opposition start to fatigue and opportunities present themselves.
That opening 30 minutes of the match should be all about holding the ball in my opinion. Play it fairly safe, work your way up the other end of the field, and finish the set with an excellent kick chase, a forced line drop-out, or really anything that leaves the opposition having to work it out from within their 20 metre line. My point is, the more we make them tackle, the more benefit we will see as the match progresses.
Of course, we still need to have some cohesion in our attack, and I hope the players and staff are working on a number of set plays we can utilise once we're within 30 or so metres of the opposition's line. Some of those long range tries look are brilliant to watch, but I don't want to see us making low percentage plays to try and force our way through from within our own half. We'll score plenty of long range tries just by wearing the opposition down. Make them work bloody hard, and the further on into the game we get, the more half-gaps we'll start to see open up. That'll be ripe for players like Walsh, Herbie, Staggs and Mam to break through the line with their agility or strength.
