Yes he does seem to be showing a little more mettle of late. Beating the opposition RS has to be the bottom line at home, taking points off them away will be seen as a bonus. Joe does seem to be trapping quite well recently, but has the habit of being passed easily on the first lap.
From what I saw of Gilkes, I was impressed. With taking time to recover from his injury, he will hopefully pick up from where he left off next season. I’d love to see him in Lions colours next year.