@reprobate said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:
@Mauss re the loose forward comparison vs Ireland - the red card has to make a big difference there. The Irish were buggered late in the game, they had to make a lot of tackles as you point out. Also the fact that it was Beirne, who is an extra loose forward for them, and one of their best.
Sititi came on and dominated late - looks like if you take out his carry metres, the Irish had more? So are we really doing the right thing with our starting loosies?
That, to me, just comes across as letting the Irish loose forwards off the hook rather easily. Aren’t Jack Conan and Josh Van der Flier both 50-cappers while also being British and Irish Lions? They should be able to lift for 20 minutes with Beirne off the field, after which he could be replaced. That’s not even mentioning another 50-capper on the bench in Caelan Doris.
Again, my intention wasn't to claim that the AB back row is particularly settled: blindside remains an issue while Savea’s eclectic positioning makes any loose forward combination a complex exercise. But, for now at least, there are a few things which are working, and that’s including Sititi’s performances off the bench. After a difficult start it would’ve been easy for a player like Sititi to spiral so the fact that he’s once again putting in performances – even in shorter bursts – is good to see.
It's far from perfect but it's also not quite a disaster either.
McCaw pays tribute to fellow All Black legend Lomu
