I found that a difficult game to call in the second. The amount of penalties and errors made it too stop-start.

I need to see the Scurr incident again before fully commenting but when I spoke to Eamon O’Carroll after the game he defended George Flanagan by saying that when he sees foul play taking place and it's missed by the officials it's human nature to defend one of your own.

I thought the main takeaway from the game was the defence and energy levels, especially after a week in which the entire side has been affected by an illness sweeping through the camp at Tong.

Thought we had concussion 18th man substitutes last year? I could be wrong.

Changed it for this year.
Last year was 3x Concussions, 18th man could be activated.
This year is 2x Concussions OR 1 injury (head or otherwise) which ends the game for the player and has come about through foul play, serious enough to warrant a yellow or red card.

Just watching the highlights and McGowans try from the scrum, I couldn't help notice the quality of Souters pass from the base of the scrum, fast, accurate and in front of Gaskell and it starts the whole move off. Such a change from seasons gone where we've had slow passes from dummy half, behind the player, which just slows the entire attack down.

Think Souter may end up as an 80 minute hooker as the season progresses and maybe only interchange with Flanagan against "lesser teams"

We do look vulnerable in depth for the spine though. Any of Souter, Gaskell or Lilley get a knock and the drop in quality is significant.

Souter is a class above that's for sure. His reading of the game for his try off Gaskell was great too. An old head on young shoulders.

Interesting to watch the full game back and in particular look at the two incidents which ended up in injuries to Blackmore and Scurr.

Have to say, for me I think the referee got both calls spot on. First was a low shot to legs but wasn't a cannonball tackle by any stretch and I think a yellow sufficed.

The Scurr one was just a case of his leg getting caught underneath him. Really can't see what the defenders could have done differently in that situation.