Thomond78
Colin Windon (37)
A question: has there ever been a time when we weren't told that our pack is soft? All through the time I've been watching and playing this game, I've heard it constantly: those Aussies are flashy in the backs and their forwards are weak rubbish. This isn't a shot at anyone, more an observation that even our great teams seem to carry some sort of stigma about not being hard enough. I guess the NH countries get it in reverse about having no flair, in spite of the fact that many of their good teams over the years have had some terrific backs.
Changeover happened, I would guess, about 2001. You didn't have a great pack post-1999 (when, to be honest, you played some of the most boring rugby ever seen), but no-one would describe a pack with John Eales in it as flaky or soft. When he went, the nous and hard edge that, growing up, I always associated with Aussie forwards, went with him. Since then, you've had some tidy players, but no real pack as such, and certainly nothing to scare anyone away from playing it tight and snarky.