IMO Fitz and Ogre raising the bar for the pack and leading by example is also a reason. Manu and Tickle have also raised their game this season.

Spot on..

I was actually going to add that the fact we have a big pack sharing the workload helps as the other team are more tired. Have to agree about Manu and Tickle as well. Tickles front on defence is just brutal.

Tickle has always been a big lad but last night his frame just looked huge! Must of been seriously hitting the weights this season.
Will be a big loss if he leaves, back to his 2007 best IMO.

immense.not bad for an oldie

eh?? didnt realise that it had p*ssed it down the last 2 seasons!

the fact dowes is being spelled more helps him.

go more with that, than "firmer ground"!!! what we watching dowes or shergar???

It hasn't but your being selective in your recollection of his performances in that time. If you dont think firmer grounds benefit a prop that relies on late footwork before the collision your not paying enough attention in games.

ok son, you have your opinion, i have mine, and im at an age where my attention doesnt lapse, and if you think Dowes has been anything other than average these last couple of seasons, even taking into account "firmer ground" than it seems its you who hasnt been paying attention!

all our forwards are being spelled better,and are reaping the benefits at the moment.big sam would struggle to do 60/70 mins,but he looks fantastic due to him doing short spells,and dowes is now reaping his rewards,for shorter spells.

Did you really just call me "son"?

So you think he has performed better over the last 4-6 weeks because he is being spelled better? Despite the fact he isn't really doing less gametime now than he was at the start of the season?

I've been saying for the last 2 seasons that he hasn't been average. He struggles on the heavy ground because he doesn't have the size to go toe to toe with most props. Instead he relies on late footwork to unbalance the tackler so he can win the collision, the firmer grounds allow him to do that.

Since were being patronizing perhaps I could suggest that the game has moved on a bit and you've been left behind grandad?

I disagree. I think Dowes is pretty much doing the same amount of minutes now that he was doing at the start of the season. The fact the whole pack is firing is helping and the fact we now have 2 genuine impact props playing is also helping.