I'm also leaning on the ESPN stats. I guess it's just easy to find them.
Team stats suggest to me that the EJ (Eddie Jones) strategy/game play is working - he's done pretty much what I would hope for. Not convinced?
Aus possession: 55%/50%
Aus territory: 63%/59%
Note that it didn't seem that we often won the kicking battle but still achieved those figures.
Rucks 95% (v France 92%)
We are in the right part of the field and with enough possession, with adequate ruck work to put the team into a position to win.
I felt that our lineout had reverted to hopeless, but based on the stats not so bad. Our scrum was dominating though not a lot of opportunity for it in the game.
Arnold is getting a kicking here, I thought his ruck-work was fabulous especially in the first 30, though he achieved little in the hard yards taking it up the guts.
Gordon's tackle count clearly shows a tactical win buy the French who targeted him. I'd hope that our D training looks at it more closely.
Some nice developments:
1. in spite the positive thoughts around certain reds supporters over Vunivalu's effectiveness this year, he finally stepped up to the plate wearing gold.
2. Tupou left the field without injury and nothing happened to suggest that we will be highly compromised by Nongorr taking the field.
3. Big Will's first captaincy was fine.
4. McReight held a steady quality and actually got better I thought, through the game.
5. While I might have preferred getting them on earlier, Gleeson, IFS and Donaldson looked settled at this level. Hooper has remained settled. I'd say the same about Kellaway though note fans have been expecting bigger things from him than I am.
Problems:
1. Kicking for points
2. Lineout
3. Maul
4. Discipline - at the end the penalty count was pretty even, but we gifted territory and possession with back to back penalties.
Remove the back-to-back discipline issue and solve the kicking and we would be going close. Against a full strength France at home.
www.espn.com
