I'm gunna bump this thread. Not for any "I told you so" vibe (I think just about everyone here wanted him gone at various stages. Some perhaps more vehemently than others).
Just wanted to say, I thought he completely and utterly out coached Pyke. I've always said you want a guy with Premiership experience in charge and my thoughts are that he had our group completely and utterly in the right mindset going into the game. We were relaxed, but keen and excited.
He also pulled off one of the great coaching masterstrokes in recent GF memory. Sending Graham to Sloane, who at quarter time was influencing the game more than anyone was just incredible. Sending a 19 year old to cover one of the bulls of the competition..... they never knew what hit em.
Watching the game back in the cold light of day - we had it won halfway through the second but perhaps even earlier. I thought their first quarter goals were streaky and they took no momentum from them. We controlled the game basically the entire 80 minutes.
Outstanding Dimma - RFC legend.