It's so bloody weird.
One could perhaps excuse the kicking earlier on when the result wasn't certain. But the amount of kicking in the last ten minutes simply can't be explained or excused.
I'm mega confused.
Actually, don't even know what to say.
The only thing I can think of is that without Venter they don't feel they have the muscle up front to play on the front foot and so are trying to get in behind the opposition. I don't agree, I don't think it's actually the reason and would only really say that if there was a gun to my
head and I was literally forced to try and think of a reason.
It feels like having a child who was getting straight As while studying to become a doctor but gets arrested for a triple homicide and with 5kgs of crack and dead hooker in his boot.
So damn gutted.
17,229 posts
This team of nobodies (not meant in a derogatory sense) made it to #3 on the URC log executing one of the best brands of rugby in the competition - they had best offloading game in the competition and the stats supported that.
Now, in the last two games suddenly they are trying to execute a kicking game - one the side is clearly neither comfortable with, nor skilled enough to execute. Both Krappies and Pead are terrible at kicking. Box kicks go too deep or straight up in the air. Attacks just start gaining momentum through a few phases, and someone boots the ball away. Even Quan. They are hopeless at fielding or controlling high kicks. So what are they trying to do playing this game?
Twice in the first half they established overlaps, only for Munster to cynically slap the final passes. Point being, they were completely capable of pressuring the defense to the point of deliberate card infringements, yet they never pushed it. Instead they tried that old stalwart, the maul, even though their maul is terrible. And they kicked. And kicked some more.
In the live thread I asked at one point if they're throwing the game. That's how unfathomably poor some of their decision making was - that you can't even imagine a team playing like that unless they're deliberately trying to lose.
It's like either this team, or their coaching staff, have completely lost faith in themselves and the game that brought them success. It's sad and disappointing.