Copyright irishmirror
Soldier Field is on the southside of Chicago, it's the baddest part of town. The badassed part of town too, as Ireland finally broke their 100 year results hex against the All Blacks , spanning a bridge stretching from 0-15 in 1905 to the other side and a 40-29 win in 2016. And therein endeth the lesson which is sentimental schmaltz as far as this Saturday's meeting is concerned. The results/figures that matter bare that New Zealand are 5-4 ahead on the nine meetings since. Chicago 2016? What Andy Farrell needs to be cognisant of this weekend is the significant consequence of the 2016 game is that the All Blacks HATE us. The venom with which they attacked Ireland in the post-Chicago game two weeks later in Dublin caused World Rugby to change its rules on violent play; they were there for the kill at RWC 2019 and thrashed Ireland in the quarter-final; they defended like dogs at the close of the 2023 RWC quarter-final. And weren't above telling Johnny Sexton what they thought of Ireland , to such an extent the Ireland captain broached the idea the All Blacks had no 'class'. Well duh! Dateline June 4, 1995, Rugby World Cup: New Zealand 145 Japan 17, a ritual humiliation of their opponents that showed no mercy, no cop on, no humility, no class... The 'unofficial' excuse for their 2016 defeat to Ireland was, by the way, that they had been given too much time off during the week, the whole trip had been pitched a sponsor's jaunt rather than a nailed down NZU trip...the lads were 'tired and emotional' by the time they got to the field. Which leaves us with Ireland-All Blacks Chicago II and it's a fair bet their lead-in will be different while it's a no-brainer that Ireland will be disadvantaged in the wake of Andy Farrell having been off-site. Ireland sit two years into the four-year Rugby World Cup cycle and the similarity between the 'thirtysomething' 2023 RWC quarter-final side and the 2025 Six Nations campaign was scary. The threequarters in Paris in 2023 featured Keenan, Hansen, Ringrose, Henshaw and Lowe - four of whom are now in their thirties with 29 year-old Hugo Keenan and 27 year-old Mack Hansen the odd ones out. Across the half-backs Johnny Sexton has retired while Jamison Gibson-Park is also now in his thirties. The quarter-final pack contained thirtysomethings Furlong, Beirne, Henderson amd van der Flier, Porter who will be 30 this January, O'Mahony who has retired...Dan Sheehan and Caelan Doris. That is not to say thirtysomethings can't play international rugby; but the question, somewhat similar to how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, is how many thirtysomethings are too many, where does the critical mass effect kick in? Coach disclaimer here: The IRFU disagreed with the suggestion the time was not right for the Ireland coach to be absent with leave to join the Lions. While for his part Farrell took exception to the idea - when it was put to him directly - that the Lions job was a 'jolly', that the day job was more important. And to be fair Farrell had been working on looking at younger players, Joe McCarthy, Ryan Baird, Sam Prendergast, Jamie Osborne, Gus McCarthy, Thomas Clarkson come to mind. But there are issues there, he has been hands off for the last six months and there is a checklist that needs going over Let's hope McCarthy isn't as injury prone as he has been these last two seasons and that foot 'thingy' isn't some debilitating returning mystery Baird is one of the most dynamic, athletic players to have ever played for Ireland, we don't have access to his GPS stats but it's good bet they are off the charts; would that his handling was better, his penalty count lower, his hit and miss days with more hit days less miss. The identifying, belief in and selection of Prendergast was genius level coaching; what he doesn't need is second season-syndrome affecting Suncroft's sunshine and there will have to be careful managing of his situation this November. Osborne is brilliant, big, chunky, dynamic, full of ideas, but he lost six month's onfield experience because Jordie Barrett came to Leinster; the mark of just how much Farrell is intent in moving the clock forward may well be measurable by how much Osborne plays in this window. Front-row adjustments are always difficult and, to be fair Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher are here for the long haul, while Porter and Furlong show little signs of fading. Their reserves now look like Jack Boyle and Thomas Clarkson (and Gus McCarthy) as Connacht's Finlay Bealham will be phased out and Munster's Oli Jager isn't working out. There are a lot of eggs in the one Leinster basket here all the same, not least considering the Blue unit has grizzled, granite, steely, firency determined Rabah Slimani in their mix. Thanks be the Lions Tour is over, done and dusted, and Farrell can get to work with a single focus. He is not a coach who will work change for change's sake. But if Ireland intend playing a World Cup 2027 quarterfinal with Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, Aki/Henshaw, Lowe; Prendergast/Crowley, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Ryan, Beirne, Conan, van der Flier and Doris... Ten of those will be over 30 while the rest will pan out with Keenan, Hansen, Sheehan and Doris all 29 years-of-age and Prendergast/Crowley 24/27. None of those 10 need to be singled out and binned but surely all 10 can't play. The realpolitik for Farrell on this 'short' WRC cycle will surely be to get matchday minutes into those who are young, have been mainly shut out to here, and who will most benefit from them.
