Agree Spook - Palu was absent for large portions of the game, but then I think our forwards were playing a bit individually bar that try to Hynes. When we operated in pods we nailed it, when we ran one out we didn't. Simple stuff, really.
cyclopath said:
Nick, he could have pinged 2 or 3 others for that penalty try besides Smith. I blame him no more than the rest of the pack, and Burgess for the stupid pass.
Yeah, but he DIDN'T ping 2 or 3 others. He pinged the guy standing right in front of him, not bound to the remains of a scrum. Sure, Burgess fucked up - but that was the previous play. You have to move on and prepare for the scrum - something our forwards clearly didn't do. If your scrum is getting beaten and you're standing right in front of the ref, you take your medicine - especially if you're not binding properly and helping push your side of the scrum when its clearly getting buttfucked. We'd be debating this along another line if the French had won by a point because the conversion was assured, being in front. Smith conceded the penalty, Smith takes the blame.
Of course, I'm the only one here who thinks Smith isn't a demigod and dares to criticise him for a poor game :
Smith did himself no favours by drawing Joubert's ire several times previously that half.