McClennan wrote:
It does help having options around the ruck for him which is something we don't do over here. There was a huge difference in the way the Aussies and Kiwis hung around the ruck area and supported the play. Often the Kiwis would be like Saints with just on guy running up whilst the others did nothing. The Aussies though would support the player by having four to five players who were mingling around the runner. I'm not talking about running at full speed with him in the same way that Allan Hunte used to try and do that "You should have passed it to me" showboating stuff. I mean, just jogging with the ball carrier and having a general greater awareness of what was going on. You can't buy that sort of intelligence, it has to be coached in because it's game culture.
Personally I thought the ruck area was a complete mess and a big tern off for spectators. The ruck was congested and it was not helped by Bentham letting both teams (although IMO the australians were the worst offenders) get away with not clearing the ruck and not getting back onside on the apparent basis that "they were not interfering with the play" (reminds me of what a certain Brain Clough said about the subject in a different sport ).
Aren't players supposed to release and get out of the way?
Aren't player supposed to not blatantly move off the mark? (e.g. C Smith)
Its just so alien to the way the game is played in this country and I don't think its an improvement.
I think the NZ ref today played it a bit more like we are used to and would certainly not have let either team last night get away with their deliberate slow play tactics. Perhaps Bentham was a bit in thrall of them.