Mein Take:
Very inconsistent performance. Near to perfect first 15 minutes. Followed by awful discipline and the continuation of some poor habits we've had all year.
Collective inability at the ruck - clearing out, securing, counter rucking and particularly jackalling is inconsistent, and often sub-par.
ESPN says 12 penalties to 4, Jones said 17 to 4 in the post match interview. Either way - you cannot do that against even half-decent opposition.
1. Mako Vunipola - Played pretty well, won two turnovers, never really got his ball carrying game going. 3 pens is too many, harsh YC.
2. Jamie George - Decent game: threw well, made a good number of tackles - 2 penalties. Still not convinced he's as effective at international level.
3. Kyle Sinckler - Again, decent. Scrummaged OK, physical in the loose. Not been in amazing form for Quins - still an upgrade on Dank Hole.
4. Maro Itoje - What's with the ill discipline? Trying too hard? Decent shift, big error allowed Faf to grab a try. Cheeky try himself.
5. Nick Isiekwe - Decent - made 7 tackles in 35 mins, didn't look out of place at all. Harshly crooked.
6. Chris Robshaw - Mr Predictable, decent shift. 2 Penalties.
7. Tom Curry - Nothing flashy, but huge workrate defensively. Would have been nice if could get more pressure on their ball.
8. Billy Vunipola - Very quiet, but all told, it was still reasonably effective. We all know he's not fully fit yet.
9. Ben Youngs - Pretty good.
10. George Ford - Pretty good. Was very sharp in the first 20.
11. Mike Brown - Good at the things he's good at, bad at what he isn't. Scarily slow, took his first try well. I'll be happier when he's not playing though.
12. Owen Farrell - Decent.
13. Henry Slade - Pretty good, all told. One big knock on and an accidental one in a tackle (not much you can do about that, really). Generally effective.
14. Jonny May - Good - nothing new. He's really, really fast. There was some really nerve-wracking running backwards/sideways at one point.
15. Elliot Daly - Good - but his few errors were big ones. Massive PK. Overcooked a couple of kicks - put this down to altitude. Missed the dot-down - it was an error, they happen.
16. LCD - Good. Has the physical aggression we often lack. His last throw was fine IMHO - just a good steal from Snyman - possibly a slow jump by Robshaw, who's 7 inches shorter than RG.
17. Joe Marler - ...
18. Harry Williams - Decent, I like him. Fit, good scrummager and physical.
19. Brad Shields - Pretty good. First start, out of position, only a couple of days with the squad. Very nice contribution to the JM try, not something CR could have done IMO. Couple of nice cleanouts, fast up in the LO.
20. Nathan Hughes - Meh - he's not fully fit. Carried OK, but conceded 2 TO's.
21. Ben Spencer - Did well. Good, fast service.
22. Piers Francis - Didn't do a great deal - made one pass to the ground.
23. Denny Solomona - ...
By far and away our focus needs to be on discipline. I think we need to have someone with more pace in our 11 shirt.
Woodward, Earle... don't mind.
