The Numbers Game

WARNING: Another Rugby related post. For direct access to the hobby content feel free to skip to the end: WARNING

Statistics can be used to prove just about anything, 76% of all people know that!

England took on Australia at Twickenham on Saturday. I, along with others, was in the pub.. shouting.

Possession, territory, tackles made and missed, strikes against the head, penalty count, line-outs won and lost, linebreaks. All these can be and are analysed, almost to death, along with patterns of play in super slow-mo. It gives ex-internationals a career after retirement.

England got ahead on all counts and the result was a 35-18 drubbing of the green and gold, with at least two clear chances missed for want of the final pass. RE-SULT!!

Meanwhile, late this afternoon Wasps ground out a two point win against Bath, 18-16, with just one try scored. With both attacks fairly shackled by defense, errors and a ropey ref there was a LOT of kicking, from hand and otherwise.

With Danny Cipriani leaving for Melbourne at the end of last season we looked a bit light on cover at 10, fly-half, and so it has proved. Two particular injuries have seen club stalwart Mark Van Gisbergen moved up from 15, full-back.

As excellent a player as he undoubtedly is he's simply not an experienced 10, which is more about distribution than kicking. Yesterday he was every inch a 15 in a 10's shirt and, in the crowd's opinion, far too keen to kick away possession for territory.

It's all about the numbers and at the moment it's not helping our play. Thankfully the pack was strong and avoided the three sin binnings that saw us play with 14 for a full quarter of last week's defeat.

Bath missed the last kick of the game for us to claim an ugly two point win. Still a win though. All about the numbers!!

HOBBY CONTENT / HOBBY CONTENT / HOBBY CONTENT

So after all that excitement I found a bit of time this evening to wash down the Falcon. I had been a little dubious as to how the Ogryn Flesh might cover the pre-painted finish but raw from the pot did a good job. Possibly a little heavy in places, with a few brush-marks, but a good coverage that tomorrow night's weathering will see right.

And I even got dinner cooked for me :)