Quote andycapp="andycapp"It seemed to me that Orford was doing the half time team talk and I would guess he is the one pulling all the teams coaching and tactics strings at the moment....long may it continue!'"
Two separate points there.
Surely, what we saw at half time was what we expect to see a
captain do, was it not? An inspirational captain. Whatever else they have been, I do not think ANY of our captains throughout SL have come across as particularly St.-Crispin's-Day-Speech-Inspirational, even Robbie. Lead by example maybe; good technically maybe; good in public maybe? but inspirational? Not sure.
But Orford looked to have taken on that mantle on Friday. A role I would bet the head coach wanted him to take on earlier, hence the delay in naming the captain, but perhaps he felt uneasy about doing so having just arrived. Supposition on my part, but I don't think I am the only one to think that. And maybe, after the Stains debacle where - I'm sorry to say - we looked like headless chickens low on confidence after that early blitz, lacking leadership on the park, he realised he needed to step up and inspire? Maybe?
And is it altogether possible that this was what the head coach wanted all along? Maybe?
Whether any of this is indeed the case or otherwise though, I think it is at best naïve and at worst disingenuous to go on to assume that the dramatic improvement we saw on Friday was due to Orford taking control of the coaching and tactics - and in a whole four training days?
That said, a couple of Macca's comments stuck in my mind - his seeming downplaying of Orford's contribution in the post-match comments (although he was surely right to praise the platform the pack laid), and the big rap he gave his assistant coach reported later.
I'd prefer to think that the improvement we saw on Friday was a team effort. If perchance that involved Macca taking on board other input, if that may have meant admitting the need for it (and I have no idea one way or the other) then that can only be a very good thing? I think perhaps that was more the point you were trying to make?
But you'll find no disagreement from anybody, other than anyone who wants us to fail so Macca gets sacked, with your wish that - whatever brought about the improvement - long may it continue!
