Gloucestershires number 9 ripped us to shreds when Kes wasn't on the pitch so needs to be on at 9, and for longer periods.
The trick with Cross is, it is obvious he needs to be on the pitch, but to put him somewhere that suits his skills and doesn't detriment the rest of the team. Scoring tries is all well and good but he can do what he does from anywhere.
If he plays at 7, he should be too busy marshalling the others and directing the forwards around to back up as often as he does. If a 7 backs up player and the ball doesn't come you're down a ball player on the next set and the team suffers. Similarly if he plays at 9 he needs to be darting the ruck (which he can't if the pass hasn't come) and putting in a lot bigger defensive stint that he appears able to. He also wouldn't play 80 mins at 9/
it is becoming obvious we don't have a 13, or we wouldn't have been playing a prop there yesterday. Our pack is also big enough, particularly when you add the size in the three quarters. So for me, the best place to keep cross on the pitch and weaken the team least is to put him at 13 and play Howden and Miller in the halves. With Kes hooking and wright his understudy.
On Miller, I genuinely believe he will become a cracking half back that we'll struggle to keep hold of.
(IMO)
COYD
