WE GET PLENTY wrong in the media and here’s another one to add to the list. Before this Six Nations kicked-off, many of us – this writer included – anticipated an exciting battle unfolding for the Ireland 10 shirt.
Sam Prendergast was the man in possession, this much we knew, but Jack Crowley hadn’t gone away and was coming into the championship on the back of some strong displays for Munster. At some point he’d get his chance to put the heat on Prendergast, and the jersey might even move between their hands as the tournament progressed.
How wrong we were. Not only is today’s final round meeting with Italy Crowley’s first start of the championship, it will also represent his first minutes at 10 since the opening round defeat of England. While there is logic in feeding as many minutes to Prendergast as possible, it has been strange to see Crowley used so sparingly.
In last year’s championship Crowley played every minute as Ireland powered to Six Nations success. Stepping into Johnny Sexton’s shoes was no easy task for a young player still learning the role and the Munster player was by no means perfect across those five outings, but he was confident, controlled, and delivered a series of classy moments.
At that point it was unthinkable he would find himself such a peripheral figure a year down the line. Four rounds in, Crowley had amassed a total of just 71 minutes, only 22 of which came at out-half.
That was against England, where Prendergast started in the Six Nations for the first time before being replaced by Crowley in the second half. It was an encouraging start, if not the one Crowley wanted, but since then he’s been limited to just 16 minutes against Scotland, eight against Wales and 25 against France, playing at fullback and inside centre.
Whether you believe that’s down to mismanagement or just the harsh reality of top level sport, it’s not the role the Corkman would have envisioned and while no player is entitled to minutes on the pitch, he can rightly be frustrated with how this championship has unfolded for him. He’ll be keen to show the coaches what they’ve been missing in Rome today.
Crowley’s best performance of the campaign so far came when he was at 10 against England.
His first involvement was a booming clearance kick which Freddie Stewart did well to keep in play. On England’s next attack, a big tackle from Caelan Doris helps Ireland turn the ball over, with Crowley showing quick reactions to nip in and flick a pass wide under pressure from Stewart, with Ireland kicking into the England half through Mack Hansen. Crowley was straight in the game, and looking sharp.
England rush their clearance and from the resulting lineout Crowley gets his hands on the ball, slipping a pass behind decoy runner Josh van der Flier as Ireland move into their attacking shape, but the opportunity is lost as Doris knocks-on Robbie Henshaw’s pass.
Ireland were building momentum had soon had their third try through Tadhg Beirne, allowing Crowley to step up and kick his first points of the championship.
Crowley was playing with confidence and continued to show sharp hands and quick thinking, doing extremely well to release this pass under pressure from Henry Slade. This passage of play ends with Hugo Keenan kicking into the England backfield before Keenan and James Lowe combine to force Cadan Murley into touch – a huge moment in the game.
The lineout leads to Ireland driving at the England line but after Crowley shows quick feet to jink through a gap, he then gives away a penalty for not releasing.
Ireland are soon on the attack again and Crowley drops an excellent contestable kick on top of Marcus Smith, who does really well to claim possession ahead of Garry Ringrose.
He then sends another high bomb in Smith’s direction, who this time can’t collect the ball cleanly as Keenan competes in the air. It drops into Slade’s hands but he’s soon nailed by Ringrose as Ireland’s kick-chase keeps England under pressure.
Advertisement
Ireland are really turning the screw now and in the 71st minute they add the bonus-point try through Dan Sheehan. Crowley drills an excellent conversion from the sideline.
England begin to compound errors and Crowley’s next high bomb is spilled by Murley.
Crowley was then somewhat unlucky this clever behind-the-back offload to Iain Henderson didn’t work out.
Crowley would add another couple of nice carries before England crossed for two late scores, and the Munster man will have been disappointed not to get a stronger tackle in on Joe Heyes before Tommy Freeman ran in the final try of the game.
It was a sloppy end to what was otherwise a positive opening performance from Ireland, and as part of an impressive effort by the replacements Crowley played a central role in their strong finish. Before those two late England tries, Ireland had initially outscored their visitors 14-0 following Crowley’s introduction.
It felt like a promising glimpse toward a bright new future where Prendergast and Crowley could both serve as impactful 10s in an Ireland matchday squad. Yet for reasons only known to the Ireland coaches, Crowley would not get another run at 10 across the following three games.
In Murrayfield Prendergast was enjoying his best game for Ireland and his team were 29-11 up by the time Crowley came in at fullback with just over 15 minutes to play, as Prendergast remained at 10, Keenan moved to the wing and Calvin Nash headed for the bench.
Crowley’s first involvement saw him rise to claim a high ball, using his strength to keep possession before Jamison Gibson-Park steps in.
Otherwise it was a more quiet outing for Crowley, who spent most of his time on the pitch marshalling the backfield, only having the opportunity to make two carries and two passes on a day where Prendergast grabbed the headlines with a player of the match display.
Cardiff would be a similarly frustrating experience. While Ireland made seven changes from the win over Scotland, Crowley was again on the bench and would see less than 10 minutes of gametime, which again came at fullback.
The 25-year-old came on for Mack Hansen in the 72nd minute, just after Ellis Mee saw a try crossed off after Prendergast had put Ireland under pressure with a kick out on the full. Crowley’s introduction at 15 saw Jamie Osborne shift to the wing, with Ireland defending a 24-18 lead.
His best involvement was this tackle and counter-ruck effort which led to Tadhg Beirne winning a late turnover, but otherwise his influence was again limited, Crowley finishing without making a single carry or pass.
The round four meeting with France would see Crowley get a longer outing, with his 25 minutes coming as a replacement for Bundee Aki at inside centre. It felt an unusual move on the day, even if Aki was struggling to influence the contest, and Ireland have since confirmed the switch was a tactical one, and not injury enforced.
Crowley came in right as France were enjoying their best spell of the game, with Fabien Galthié’s team flying at 25-13 up.
His first task was this rushed clearance as Ireland were under the pump in front of their own posts.
France would use that lineout to bulldoze their way forward and score a fourth try through Oscar Jegou on the opposite side.
The game already looked beyond Ireland entering the final quarter but Crowley managed to make a positive impact. This choke tackle on Romain Ntamack led to a maul, with Ireland winning a turnover on halfway.
We also got a few looks at Prendergast and Crowley working in tandem, the two combining in the France 22 before Prendergast gets crunched by centre Yoram Moefana, with the pass outside to Osborne incomplete.
The two playmakers continued to link up as Ireland tried to close the gap across the final 10 minutes.
With Ireland probing in the France 22, Crowley makes a number of clever plays. A lineout provides the attacking platform before Ireland shift the ball across the posts. Keenan cleverly steps inside the first defender but can’t break free, and Crowley quickly nips in to protect the ball and keep the attack alive.
Crowley can then be seen directing the play before getting hands on the ball again to hit Henshaw, who rumbles toward the tryline. This is Ireland’s best spell of pressure since early in the second half.
Henshaw is stopped short and with Thibaud Flament lurking for the steal, Crowley is alert to shoot in and whip the ball to Nash.
After Nash is stopped, Crowley has a go himself but ends up in a mismatch against two French defenders, and is pushed back as Ireland win a penalty for offside.
Ireland tap the penalty but Prendergast throws an intercept which sees France go end-to-end as Damian Penaud scores their fifth try.
Ireland do manage to hit for two late tries through Cian Healy and Jack Conan, and Crowley plays an important part in Conan’s score. First, he links up with Prendergast again before Ireland move the ball wide to Osborne.
After Osborne is tackled Ireland rework the ball inside and win a penalty. Prendergast takes it quickly and hits Crowley, who reads the play well in stepping past Penaud before passing to Conan.
While it was an utterly deflating defeat for Ireland, Crowley managed to made a positive contribution across the closing quarter.
Given it was also Prendergast’s most challenging day in an Ireland jersey, there was naturally a suspicion the Ireland coaches might finally give Crowley his chance to start at 10 this weekend.
He’s back in the 10 shirt this afternoon but with the championship out of Ireland’s hands, he might feel the opportunity is arriving too late in the day. Still, on the back of interest from Leicester Tigers, it’s a welcome chance for Crowley to highlight his quality again.
This Six Nations might not have gone his way, but today Crowley can show why he could still have a major say in the 10 battle over the coming years.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
28 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
22 minutes at 10 during the Six Nations - today brings Crowley's chance to show that was wrong
WE GET PLENTY wrong in the media and here’s another one to add to the list. Before this Six Nations kicked-off, many of us – this writer included – anticipated an exciting battle unfolding for the Ireland 10 shirt.
Sam Prendergast was the man in possession, this much we knew, but Jack Crowley hadn’t gone away and was coming into the championship on the back of some strong displays for Munster. At some point he’d get his chance to put the heat on Prendergast, and the jersey might even move between their hands as the tournament progressed.
How wrong we were. Not only is today’s final round meeting with Italy Crowley’s first start of the championship, it will also represent his first minutes at 10 since the opening round defeat of England. While there is logic in feeding as many minutes to Prendergast as possible, it has been strange to see Crowley used so sparingly.
In last year’s championship Crowley played every minute as Ireland powered to Six Nations success. Stepping into Johnny Sexton’s shoes was no easy task for a young player still learning the role and the Munster player was by no means perfect across those five outings, but he was confident, controlled, and delivered a series of classy moments.
At that point it was unthinkable he would find himself such a peripheral figure a year down the line. Four rounds in, Crowley had amassed a total of just 71 minutes, only 22 of which came at out-half.
That was against England, where Prendergast started in the Six Nations for the first time before being replaced by Crowley in the second half. It was an encouraging start, if not the one Crowley wanted, but since then he’s been limited to just 16 minutes against Scotland, eight against Wales and 25 against France, playing at fullback and inside centre.
Whether you believe that’s down to mismanagement or just the harsh reality of top level sport, it’s not the role the Corkman would have envisioned and while no player is entitled to minutes on the pitch, he can rightly be frustrated with how this championship has unfolded for him. He’ll be keen to show the coaches what they’ve been missing in Rome today.
Crowley’s best performance of the campaign so far came when he was at 10 against England.
His first involvement was a booming clearance kick which Freddie Stewart did well to keep in play. On England’s next attack, a big tackle from Caelan Doris helps Ireland turn the ball over, with Crowley showing quick reactions to nip in and flick a pass wide under pressure from Stewart, with Ireland kicking into the England half through Mack Hansen. Crowley was straight in the game, and looking sharp.
England rush their clearance and from the resulting lineout Crowley gets his hands on the ball, slipping a pass behind decoy runner Josh van der Flier as Ireland move into their attacking shape, but the opportunity is lost as Doris knocks-on Robbie Henshaw’s pass.
Ireland were building momentum had soon had their third try through Tadhg Beirne, allowing Crowley to step up and kick his first points of the championship.
Crowley was playing with confidence and continued to show sharp hands and quick thinking, doing extremely well to release this pass under pressure from Henry Slade. This passage of play ends with Hugo Keenan kicking into the England backfield before Keenan and James Lowe combine to force Cadan Murley into touch – a huge moment in the game.
The lineout leads to Ireland driving at the England line but after Crowley shows quick feet to jink through a gap, he then gives away a penalty for not releasing.
Ireland are soon on the attack again and Crowley drops an excellent contestable kick on top of Marcus Smith, who does really well to claim possession ahead of Garry Ringrose.
He then sends another high bomb in Smith’s direction, who this time can’t collect the ball cleanly as Keenan competes in the air. It drops into Slade’s hands but he’s soon nailed by Ringrose as Ireland’s kick-chase keeps England under pressure.
Ireland are really turning the screw now and in the 71st minute they add the bonus-point try through Dan Sheehan. Crowley drills an excellent conversion from the sideline.
England begin to compound errors and Crowley’s next high bomb is spilled by Murley.
Crowley was then somewhat unlucky this clever behind-the-back offload to Iain Henderson didn’t work out.
Crowley would add another couple of nice carries before England crossed for two late scores, and the Munster man will have been disappointed not to get a stronger tackle in on Joe Heyes before Tommy Freeman ran in the final try of the game.
It was a sloppy end to what was otherwise a positive opening performance from Ireland, and as part of an impressive effort by the replacements Crowley played a central role in their strong finish. Before those two late England tries, Ireland had initially outscored their visitors 14-0 following Crowley’s introduction.
It felt like a promising glimpse toward a bright new future where Prendergast and Crowley could both serve as impactful 10s in an Ireland matchday squad. Yet for reasons only known to the Ireland coaches, Crowley would not get another run at 10 across the following three games.
In Murrayfield Prendergast was enjoying his best game for Ireland and his team were 29-11 up by the time Crowley came in at fullback with just over 15 minutes to play, as Prendergast remained at 10, Keenan moved to the wing and Calvin Nash headed for the bench.
Crowley’s first involvement saw him rise to claim a high ball, using his strength to keep possession before Jamison Gibson-Park steps in.
Otherwise it was a more quiet outing for Crowley, who spent most of his time on the pitch marshalling the backfield, only having the opportunity to make two carries and two passes on a day where Prendergast grabbed the headlines with a player of the match display.
Cardiff would be a similarly frustrating experience. While Ireland made seven changes from the win over Scotland, Crowley was again on the bench and would see less than 10 minutes of gametime, which again came at fullback.
The 25-year-old came on for Mack Hansen in the 72nd minute, just after Ellis Mee saw a try crossed off after Prendergast had put Ireland under pressure with a kick out on the full. Crowley’s introduction at 15 saw Jamie Osborne shift to the wing, with Ireland defending a 24-18 lead.
His best involvement was this tackle and counter-ruck effort which led to Tadhg Beirne winning a late turnover, but otherwise his influence was again limited, Crowley finishing without making a single carry or pass.
The round four meeting with France would see Crowley get a longer outing, with his 25 minutes coming as a replacement for Bundee Aki at inside centre. It felt an unusual move on the day, even if Aki was struggling to influence the contest, and Ireland have since confirmed the switch was a tactical one, and not injury enforced.
Crowley came in right as France were enjoying their best spell of the game, with Fabien Galthié’s team flying at 25-13 up.
His first task was this rushed clearance as Ireland were under the pump in front of their own posts.
France would use that lineout to bulldoze their way forward and score a fourth try through Oscar Jegou on the opposite side.
The game already looked beyond Ireland entering the final quarter but Crowley managed to make a positive impact. This choke tackle on Romain Ntamack led to a maul, with Ireland winning a turnover on halfway.
We also got a few looks at Prendergast and Crowley working in tandem, the two combining in the France 22 before Prendergast gets crunched by centre Yoram Moefana, with the pass outside to Osborne incomplete.
The two playmakers continued to link up as Ireland tried to close the gap across the final 10 minutes.
With Ireland probing in the France 22, Crowley makes a number of clever plays. A lineout provides the attacking platform before Ireland shift the ball across the posts. Keenan cleverly steps inside the first defender but can’t break free, and Crowley quickly nips in to protect the ball and keep the attack alive.
Crowley can then be seen directing the play before getting hands on the ball again to hit Henshaw, who rumbles toward the tryline. This is Ireland’s best spell of pressure since early in the second half.
Henshaw is stopped short and with Thibaud Flament lurking for the steal, Crowley is alert to shoot in and whip the ball to Nash.
After Nash is stopped, Crowley has a go himself but ends up in a mismatch against two French defenders, and is pushed back as Ireland win a penalty for offside.
Ireland tap the penalty but Prendergast throws an intercept which sees France go end-to-end as Damian Penaud scores their fifth try.
Ireland do manage to hit for two late tries through Cian Healy and Jack Conan, and Crowley plays an important part in Conan’s score. First, he links up with Prendergast again before Ireland move the ball wide to Osborne.
After Osborne is tackled Ireland rework the ball inside and win a penalty. Prendergast takes it quickly and hits Crowley, who reads the play well in stepping past Penaud before passing to Conan.
While it was an utterly deflating defeat for Ireland, Crowley managed to made a positive contribution across the closing quarter.
Given it was also Prendergast’s most challenging day in an Ireland jersey, there was naturally a suspicion the Ireland coaches might finally give Crowley his chance to start at 10 this weekend.
He’s back in the 10 shirt this afternoon but with the championship out of Ireland’s hands, he might feel the opportunity is arriving too late in the day. Still, on the back of interest from Leicester Tigers, it’s a welcome chance for Crowley to highlight his quality again.
This Six Nations might not have gone his way, but today Crowley can show why he could still have a major say in the 10 battle over the coming years.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Analysis Back in the Saddle Ireland jack crowley Rugby six nations 2025