Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2
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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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@mohikamo A quick Google search and I see the Bears plans have rightly moved on from Museum Campus. The plan is a venue with a roof that could host the 2031 Super Bowl so should be ready for the World Cup that year too.
Bears CEO: Arlington Heights only viable option for new stadium
The Chicago Bears will open their season on "Monday Night Football" against the division rival Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field, but the historic stadium's days as the Bears' home may be numbered.
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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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It's on the Bears website.
The Arlington Park Stadium | Chicago Bears
The new world-class home of the Chicago Bears will feature a greater degree of enjoyment on game day for fans, with a layout to reduce crowding on concourses, increased fan-to-restroom ratios, and improved food options with state-of-the-art technology to reduce check-out times throughout the...
But some local politicians aren't happy.
Bears say they would set aside $25M for Chicago amid stadium move to suburbs
The Chicago Bears said in a letter to lawmakers earlier this month that they would set aside $25 million for Chicago and the Chicago Park District amid their stadium move to Arlington Heights.
While the Bears are promising more than $2 billion to fund a new, fixed-roof stadium, the team is also seeking $855 million in public funding for infrastructure to "jumpstart the redevelopment potential" of the Arlington Park site.
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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).
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On the game, I read the thread here before watching the game about 12 hours later and wow. I could hardly tell they were the same thing. Ardie did carry and he did tackle and he was successful in the lineout. Jordan was pebbles and rhinestones but he also cleaned up some dangerous ball and took some great catches. The energy in our midfield was palpable, I was pleasantly surprised how well LF and QT worked together, I wager they're starting next game.
I am no BB fan but he didn't play that badly. I noticed his feints and dummies were totally useless though, he is no running threat compared to DMac but I don't know if that was helped by 20 minutes with 14 Irish on the field. But one thing that really worried me (and was in a previous game) we seem to have no idea of how to maximize overlaps when the opposition have cards.
Their loosies were better than ours (and we were lucky Doris wasn't a starter) but apart from their 9 (who was the best, grumpy back on the park IMO) their backs were a bit blah. Lowe is a strange one, intelligent boot and stupid stupid hands. I thought our wings looked more dangerous.
We do have a serious problem finding a physical 6.
What really pissed me off though were the headlocks* and chokes by quite a few Irish players. Really obvious on camera. Then again, Roigard was being a right fluffybunny to JGP.
Our tackling was still not great esp against their loosies.
My main problem with the ref was his Mr Bean style of English, I had trouble understanding him. And he got in the way of players far too often, surprised he wasn't accidentally bowled over. The touchies were having a laugh on where the ball went out. Either they're Irish supporters or one of us can't gauge trajectories.- Tadhg's leglock on Taylor was blatant.
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oh and maybe it is not obvious as he has the leglength and speed of an overweight corgi but I thought Newell had a big engine just like Holland (who is really beginning to use his frame well). De Groot and The Mighty Williams were two of our best passers. The scrum looked good to me, looked to me they were often happy to just hold it and try to tire out the Irish fatties, which they did.
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@sparky said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:
Worst All Blacks team of the last 50 years?
Certainly the least entertaining and likeable that I can remember.
This forum really is a crack up. Worst team in 50 years, before even seeing how they went in the second half. Sums up this thread (and every match thread)
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@nostrildamus said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:
The touchies were having a laugh on where the ball went out. Either they're Irish supporters or one of us can't gauge trajectories.
Great post. Nothing I disagree with.
But especially this.
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