We have 4 forwards on the bench yet 3 of the starting 6 forwards do the full 80 minutes. WTF

Agar never has had a clue about bench rotation, it showed again today.

I thought Agar's rotation was poor today even by his own standards. He seemed to save Lauaki as some kind of match winner, and that was never going to be the case. Credit to Moa though, we struggled to handle him at times.

how long did lauaki and westerman get?

thought lauaki did well and was doing well till agar decided he was,nt

Brilliant, isn't it? Rovers won't have been expecting that.

Is it so outlandish to suggest introducing Moa, Manu and Luiaki from the bench at the same time would bring some impact?

The scene from Blackadder comes to mind for Richard Agars half time team talk!!



Melchett: Now, Field Marshal Haig has formulated a brilliant tactical plan to ensure final victory in the field

Blackadder: Would this brilliant plan involve us climbing over the top of our trenches and walking, very slowly towards the enemy?

Darling: How did you know that Blackadder? It's classified information

Blackadder: It's the same plan we used last time, and the seventeen times before that

Melchett: E-e-exactly! And that is what is so brilliant about it. It will catch the watchful Hun totally off guard. Doing exactly what we've done eighteen times before will be the last thing they expect us to do this time.

Agar's biggest failing imo, he never seems to get the bench right. Fitz should be getting spelled and Westy doing the 80 min.

It's the most obvious manifestation of his inability, but it's not a separate facet of the game. His selection of players in terms of squad balance is wrong, his willingness to move 5 people to accommodate a change is wrong, his insistance on percentage rugby is wrong, his decision making during the game is wrong.

spot on, thought hame played a blinder for the time he was on and showed what a player he will be this year AND didnt rise to the elbows etc in the tackle, had a good game... but wanst there long enough.
Fitz needs spelling definately , he was walking in a swamp by the end it seemed

Spot on, one of the bigger problems for me. Other teams don't do it as it affects the whole makeup and cohesion of the squad.

What was score when westerman came on?

14-6 IIRC.

Last year IIRC we had 3 injured players so little ability to rotate but he kept one of the bench players on the sidelines and didn't use him at all! Can't remember who it was now. When he does rotate his timing is awful , it's usually just after a player has shown signs of fatigue by making a mistake or missing a tackle. The trick is to do it just before.

I'm sure that the Obst signing will help the rotation at hooker providing Long stays healthy and its going to have to because there is no way that Houghton, along with Fitzgibbon, can be expected to carry that work-load week after week. They will both be burned out by July.

We did it last season to Fitzgibbon and O'Meley.

i know and both got injured espcially fitzy who struggled to get on the pitch and regain that form he had early doors