All Blacks Legend Sean Fitzpatrick Pays Ireland The Highest Of Compliments

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All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick has stated that Ireland and New Zealand are arguably the two best teams in the world right now.

The legendary hooker said that Saturday’s match between “arguably the two best teams in the world” was the most physical he has seen in a long time, but went on to insist that the All Blacks are not a dirty side, despite many claims.

The All Blacks have been heavily criticised with the citing commissioner investigating 11 incidents in the game involving the world-champions, citing Sam Cane and Malakai Fekitoa for challenged on Robbie Henshaw and Simon Zebo respectively.

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Fitzpatrick told RTÉ Sport:

“You’ve got arguably the two best teams in the world and they play a similar style of rugby.

“It’s not a complicated game plan. They re-cycle the ball pretty quickly and I’m sure you’ll appreciate in that first three to five minutes before Fekitoa’s first try, was for me probably the most outstanding passage of play I’ve seen for a long time – in terms of the intensity.

It’s was probably the most physical game I’ve seen for a long time and you’re going to have instances that people are going to question, and that’s why the citing commissioner has been involved.

“I don’t condone foul play, but the All Blacks, I can assure you, are not a dirty team.”

“When you look back at the last three games – right back to 2013 – what an amazing game that was and Chicago was similar.

“I think on Saturday night we saw a different type of game where it was just so intense and the two coaches… that for me was the exciting thing, leading up to the game wondering what game plan was the coaches going to produce.

“And I think Joe Schmidt and Steve Hansen – we need to take the hat off to them for producing two teams that honestly, as I’ve said, I just think that they’re both outstanding teams and we’ve seen three wonderful games.”

Is Fitzpatrick right? Are Ireland and New Zealand the two best sides in World Rugby right now? We’re sure Eddie Jones will disagree.

 

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