Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2
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@BerniesCorner said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:
@Victor-Meldrew What is the aversion to starting DMac at 10 Been the trend for a year
I can only think it's part of the game-plan. Play boring, forward-biased rugby to tire out the opposition and then open up the game with DMac when the opposition tires...
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@sparky said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:
@Chris-B In the 2008 Grand Slam tour, the All Blacks only conceded 24 points and not a single try.
Of course, that 2008 team had the fabulous Crusaders McCaw and Carter wearing the 7 and 10 jerseys, while this outfit has to make do with the ex-Hurricanes Savea and Barrett.
I presume that "absolutely, positively" slogan is long gone from the capital?

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@ACT-Crusader said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:
@Frank said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:
Our scrum is strong against everyone bar the Boks. Unless we come up with a strategy to negate Wilco Louw, they'll win scrum penalties at will.
Lomax and EDG struggled against the Bok scrum, but things were far better with Newell on.
Louw is a tight head and so is Newell.
More important to ask which of our looseheads can contain him.
The evidence so far is none, neither Williams nor DeGroot.
Although I think not having Taylor hurt things. -
@kiwiinmelb said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:
@His-Bobness said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:
@kev The Kiwi-born Ireland players demonstrating the tendency of eager-to-please recent immigrants to ape and magnify the worst aspects of the host culture - in this case being obnoxious, petulant whingers with a built-in victim mentality
I think deep down these guys carry a chip with nz because they never got a look in at higher honours and their satisfaction comes with trying to prove a point they were good enough.
Nah, Lowe is the same douche no matter who he's playing.
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@taniwharugby said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:
Social media loves him
#manofthepeople
#peopleschampionFor a guy who never uses his shoulders to tackle, having all of that tape seems like a real waste.
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@Bones said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:
@kiwiinmelb said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:
@His-Bobness said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:
@kev The Kiwi-born Ireland players demonstrating the tendency of eager-to-please recent immigrants to ape and magnify the worst aspects of the host culture - in this case being obnoxious, petulant whingers with a built-in victim mentality
I think deep down these guys carry a chip with nz because they never got a look in at higher honours and their satisfaction comes with trying to prove a point they were good enough.
Nah, Lowe is the same douche no matter who he's playing.
I don't really watch any NH club rugby, but I'm surprised he is still getting picked, just screams washed up journeyman to me. Offers no threat ball in hand and is quite error ridden, only thing he seems to bring to the table is a decent boot which is not that important for a winger. Do they really not have any quick youngsters coming through at all?
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I know Soldier Field is an iconic venue with Lake Michigan on one side and the backdrop of Downtown Chicago on the other, but it was a terrible venue yesterday for a game of international Rugby.
The pitch was in awful condition and too small. The big screens did screen weren't on.
When the ABs play again in the USA, I hope they play somewhere else.
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@mohikamo Although no date is yet set for the building of the new stadium and getting permission to build on Museum Campus is going to be complex.
Chicago is one of 26 US cities alongside one Canadian one which has applied to host 2031 Rugby World Cup games.
The applicant cities are: Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles Region, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York/New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, St. Louis, Vancouver, and Washington DC.
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An AB game in Salt Lake City would get a decent crowd as would somewhere like San Diego or even Vegas.
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@ACT-Crusader Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia would be perfect. 67,000 capacity venue. Iconic modern stadium. Natural grass pitch. Great transport links.
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I've got to give razor some small credit on yesterday...... The first 60 minutes was dire to watch but......
He got his selections for this match right. When you select the right starting XV and equally as importantly an impactful bench you give yourself a chance to win a match even if you are playing badly because the players can eventually work it out.
I think what is happening on the training paddock is not bearing much fruit but at least his selections appear to be getting better.
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Back to the game ... Williams and Tosi not only won scrum penalties but using their 140 Kgs+ with energy into the rucks allowed to get quick ball, at last, which changed the whole face of the game. Sititi also hit rucks with force. This physicality was something against which the Irish substitutes had no answer. Gus McCarthy is weighing 107 kg, about 40 kgs less than Tosi. Scrum is a technical matter, I know, but McCarthy really struggled at scrum time and was nowhere to be seen in the rucks. Bealham did not fare better against Williams.
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@nonpartizan to play devil's advocate, the two injury replacements early on probably weren't planned...
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@cgrant said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:
Back to the game ... Williams and Tosi not only won scrum penalties but using their 140 Kgs+ with energy into the rucks allowed to get quick ball, at last, which changed the whole face of the game. Sititi also hit rucks with force. This physicality was something against which the Irish substitutes had no answer. Gus McCarthy is weighing 107 kg, about 40 kgs less than Tosi. Scrum is a technical matter, I know, but McCarthy really struggled at scrum time and was nowhere to be seen in the rucks. Bealham did not fare better against Williams.
There was a shot across the front rows of the bench scrums facing each other in the last 3-5 minutes or so and it really looked like behemoths versus ginger boys who had just learnt how to grow some facial hair. And they looked terrified!
I noticed Tosi seemed slimmed down but still had some serious bulk, he could clear out rucks just by shrugging his shoulders. Almost looked trim next to Williams, who was really enjoying himself. As was Samisoni (the smallest one).