Maybe they're just not as good as they or others think. The form from the St Pat's trial has stuck and not improved.
I think it's slightly more complicated than that.
Essentially the Trinity pack has half a dozen very gifted props. Only two can play there, so McLean and Malaki play second row, Morsello at hooker and Ola at No8. That's maybe a little harsh on Malaki and Ola, but neither has quite the mobility you'd ideally want in a back-row forward. This leads to two problems: a lack of genuine lineout strength (and that's putting it kindly) and a lack of presence at the breakdown - Trinity just doesn't get the numbers there, and doesn't have a genuine open-side flier. The result is that continuity of possession is hard to come by.
So, you have a forward pack full of gifted individuals who don't quite add up to a formidable pack because they don't have the ability to monopolise possession. The players I mentioned are all excellent footballers, in my view. If you had a genuine lineout jumper (Harb is OK, and works hard, but no-one fears him) and a genuine open-side (hurst is a whole-hearter player, but doesn't dominate) it might just work. Mae, who was just about the only player from last year's Trinity team not to play CAS, would be a godsend to this side, because of his speed to the breakdown.
The backs? Well, to be fair, they don't get much good ball. There's a problem at scrum-half. Whicker played another really good game today: he's industrious, defends, tidies up loose ball and runs strongly and bravely. But the one skill he really needs - the ability to send the ball to the spot where his fly-half can run onto it without breaking stride - just eludes him. A lot of Trinity's backline moves falter because they start with Clark hauling in a pass from over his head. I know I bang on about this, and I take no pleasure in criticising a gutsy and talented player, but I think he may be a fantastic footballer who happens not to be very well suited to the position he plays (I thought this about George Gregan, too, so I guess he's in good company).
Clark I think has done a good job under the circumstances. He has a heap of skill, kicks well, and has defended bravely and effectively this year. But outside him there's a revolving door of players. Mostly because of injuries, Trinity has not fielded the same back line two games running (and that's in eight or nine games). Finn has talent to burn, but dies a lot with the ball. Roberts has heaps of pace but never gets the ball in space. Clunies-Ross is brilliant, but has played only one of five competition games. Early in the year, Trinity worked up a heap of moves that involved Clark bringing Clunies-Ross into the line, or occasionally using him as a decoy and releasing Finn. There hasn't really been much opportunity to use those moves.
That's my take on it anyway. I don't think it's a reflection on the personalities, or big heads, or lack of desire. I just think it's that the mix is missing a couple of important ingredients. Barker, in contrast, seem to lack the explosive individual talents that Trinity has, but have great balance and discipline and really solid basics. They will not run up fifty points against anyone this year. But quite possibly no-one will put twenty on them either.
Footnote: As Barker defended its line in the second half today, one of the Barker forwards yelled repeatedly and loudly: "Come on, let's f%&k these c^%#s up!" Am I just getting old, or is this a bit too unpleasant for schoolboy Rugby?
