NickyKiss wrote:
If we're patient with it, I think it can work out really well, as he gets used to the role and gains confidence. One thing I think has been overlooked to a degree is that any halfback struggles to play on the back of a pack that isn't dominating and I don't think we've really dominated in any of his games at Stand Off. I also don't think as a team we've been quite there with our concentration levels. If I compare us recently to the way we were switched on around Good Friday and that Wire away game in April, it's chalk and cheese. Everyone looked in the zone, the defensive intensity was through the roof, the forwards carried with vigour and our errors were extremely low and everyone can play on the back of that. If we can get back to that in the big games coming up, I think French will continue to look more and more at home.
Very good point NK. It was, of course, notable how much more comfortable he looked on Friday once we'd gained ascendancy in the forwards. Like you say, that goes for any half. He's very strong in defence even when the attack is stuttering which is a massive bonus too. I think he's among the best defensive halves I've seen. Maybe Tommy was better but not many others. For a man of his size he doesn't half "ragdoll" players. Very consistent too and doesn't often miss.
Very promising performance on Friday. I thought at the game that he'd taken steps forward but on watching again he was even better than I first thought. He's mixing it up really well and has lost the "kick first" approach he seemed to have in the first couple of games. We all want to see him running at defences and I thought he did that much more on Friday. More to come, I'm sure, but very encouraging.
