![]() Man for man, injured Sheehan, reigning “wapotty” Josh van der Flier and Tadhg Furlong have strong claims to a World XV, but Ireland’s pack superpower is how aligned and intelligent they play: Doris and van der Flier are telepathic, wily Tadhg Beirne seems to have a cheat code in lineout and ruck, and James Ryan is the kind of lad you would want to go to (a just) war with at your side. Neither were vastly persuasive at Twickers. If he is out, granite-shouldered Luke Jacobson would be my pick, but Dalton Papalii may get the nod. He would have the clear advantage in beastliness over the aging gardener O’Mahony. The wild card is at six, where Shannon Frizzell seems to have taken up the mantle of Jerome Kaino. The Irish series win was built on a faulty Kiwi plan, in selection and tactics, but the crisis of 2022 forced Jason Ryan into the coaching box and with it, a rock-hard pack dead set on revenge.Ī quarter-final matchup with Ireland beckons, with Sam Cane on a quiet mission to refute Peter O’Mahony’s brilliant (and at that time, apt) sledge, and who does not want to see those two go at it? Both seem tired. But how good is it? (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) Savea can just put a team on his back could he pull a tractor by himself? This means the dings to Brodie Retallick’s long frame may be existential crises as they were in 2019.Īrdie Savea, head to head, still shades Caelan Doris who relies more on the system functioning. The bad news is that big hallway pounder Scott Barrett, who is taking his turn as the Best Barrett, put his World Cup in jeopardy by foolishly lunging into a prone Marx who did not need a cleanout. The good news is Sam Whitelock has found the fountain of youth and it turns out it was on the South Island. Until Twickenham’s debacle, I would have also said the All Blacks have repaired their front row, but with Tyrell Lomax gashed and Ethan de Groot gassed, it looks like they have issues up front. New Zealand has three fired up hookers who are not equal individually to Sheehan (who is, besides Marx, Montoya, or Marchand?) but as a corps, now have the edge. ![]() ![]() Until Dan Sheehan’s injury, I would have stacked Ireland third, but he is that consequential because of his speed and eye for the game. The Boks should not win this time they simply don’t have the backline of the other top sides with Handre Pollard out and their style dependent on forcing position and penalty, and only Willie le Roux or injured Lukhanyo Am capable of making tries appear from thin air when up against the top four sides.īut if they pull yet another upset in the Cup, it will be built on their hard pack depth of quality. Whether it is rugged Vermeulen or even more rugged Wiese at eight, they and their understudies (Kwagga Smith and/or Marco van Staden) only know one way: forward. The loose trio is anchored by manic du Toit’s athletic work-rate, but Siya Kolisi has always been a good healer and his Cardiff cameo was startlingly good (his work as a wide carrier is as vital to South Africa as Ardie Savea’s). But the Boks can draw on four (five with Pieter-Steph du Toit) locks of high quality. Marvin Orie and Jean Kleyn have impressed, RG Snyman has been overwhelming but could be the perfect bombardier, and Franco Mostert will never let his team down.
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