It is a mystery to me that Widdop had been selected over Wellens. I think Widdop does offer more in attack but lacks consistency and solidarity. Particularaly with the dropped bomb gifting them a try, i can't remember the last time Wello did that.
Also Ryan Atkins being missing (if it isn't just a knock) may actually strengthen the squad as McBanana will now have to bring in Gleeson who is a better option IMO.
I thought Shenton played very well in attack in the second half but some of his defense in the first was questionable. I don't understand why Griffin got a shirt over Crabtree as his impact could have been vital against a side like New Zealand.
If we stand any chance of winning against Australia next week then somebody will need to learn how to kick very quickly. Phil Clarke summed it up brilliantly (which was a shock in itself) when saying the kicking game was 4/10.
Overall the performance was gutsy and showed some signs of promise. The fact that we weren't more than 12-0 down at half time showed good defence cohesion and a little luck. If we can build and improve on the positives and try and cut out some of the negatives we will stand a chance of being competitive next week. If we play for 80 minutes like we did for our 'good' 15 minutes today, we stand a chance of causing an upset.
