NSW Waratahs assistant coach Dan Palmer has given an insight into a tough review following their defeat to the Queensland Reds.
The Waratahs were disappointed by their 35-15 defeat to their rivals from the north, however, their long-range maul try they conceded drew plenty of criticism.
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Waratahs coach Dan McKellar was amongst this, calling the play 'soft', with Palmer backing up this sentiment.
"You've got to transition from your lineout attack into your maul, and you've got to be fast at that. You've got to know what your role is in that situation, and in that example, on the weekend, we were slow, lazy, and we didn't get our roles right. Simple as that," Palmer said.
"They've got that message."
Palmer saw moments of promise in the result, with their first quarter one of their best under McKellar.
"I think that our first 20 minutes was pretty good, and I think that the growth of us as a group is under pressure and fatigue is being able to stick to the plan, our systems and not get so easily dragged out of what we're trying to do," Palmer said.
"There were some soft moments in that game and we compounded them and found ourselves in a hole and we've got to get better at that.
“We addressed it head-on in training, and I expect a far better response this weekend.”
Flanker Charlie Gamble, set to play his 50th game for the club, was hungry to rectify the effort they put together in Brisbane.
“After a disappointing loss, you want to respond immediately, and there’s no better team to test yourself against than the Brumbies,” Gamble said.
“We’ve been building in key areas, and it’s about making sure we sustain that effort for the whole game.”
“We don’t need fire and brimstone early in the week, but we will be up for this one," Palmer added.
“The key is bringing controlled aggression and executing our plan.”
