Wallace Sititi celebrates scoring New Zealand's their third try as Caelan Doris of Ireland falls to the surface. Photograph: Robert Alam/Inpho/Photosport

One of the confounding aspects of how the last 20 minutes unfolded in Soldier Field on Saturday was its fever dream quality. It felt like watching an Irish team of the past.

The drooped Irish shoulders, the hands on hips, the negative body language as New Zealand ran in three late tries. It looked like a screen shot from decades ago, long before Irish management bought into the notion that player loads, physical strength and fitness relate to mental acuity and are just as

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