It's pretty common that some software removes a feature, an extension or alternative is created to mimic the feature, and then over time the extension dies. I chalk it up to human attachment to workflows.

Usually, when some Apple UI component baffles me, I find it's because they and I assumed different things about how the work should be done--so the friction disappears when I step back and figure out what the devs were thinking.

In this case, I think they believe the task of reviewing all open pages, and of finding a specific page that is neither nearby nor recent, are unsuited to the tab bar and better done with the Show All Tabs screen.

I suggest you force yourself to rely on Show All Tabs for a week, then reevaluate.