The really interesting thing for me last night was the scrum. It was terrible and you'd say the Canes had the better one all night. Was it just the conditions? How does the team with the best scrum all year lose the one part of their game which is a strength? All confidence?
Qwerty, agree, the suddenly weaker scrum was the key marker of this team's inner mindset as of today. But is it any surprise this team's confidence and motivation would now be at risk of cracking?:
- high level leaks to GG re serious 'repercussions' post SA
- emergency board meetings to 'review performance' but no subsequent announcement of clarity
- bad run of close losses to teams they'd expect to beat
- finals chances over
- coach shows remarkably low self confidence in declaring he'd accept demotion to Assistant again
- heavy Cheika speculation, and he's known as a take no prisoners type
- rumours that Gaffney will be the sacked scapegoat
- players saying they'll leave if Foley sacked
- players see crap crowd numbers
- on their 3rd captain of season
- etc.
With all the above, most teams would start to get anxious and down. And what in these circumstances is the rational basis for motivation?