HE’S NOT EVEN been a year since Jack Crowley made his Test debut but the young out-half is quickly clocking up the milestones.
From his memorable first Test start against the Wallabies, to becoming a Grand Slam and URC champion, the 23-year-old has already hit a lot of goals that most players can only dream about. On Saturday he added another, cooly slotting the final score in Ireland’s thrilling World Cup defeat of South Africa.
“Pretty special,” Crowley admitted. “I think when you are sitting on the bench here looking up at the clock and looking at the time, slowly as the time is dwindling away you see the magnitude grow larger… and we all know the credit South Africa deserve for making that challenge.
“It was a proper Test match. The physicality was through the walls and just when you are coming on you’ve got to know the magnitude of the game and the responsibility.
But I think I got a fairly easy one from in front of the posts so if I’d missed that I think ye’d be saying a different story to me!”
Crowley came in for Ireland captain Johnny Sexton when the game was still in the balance – Andy Farrell’s side leading 10-8 with seven minutes to play.
Speaking after the game, Crowley explained his mindset when sitting on the bench during such a tense contest, knowing the call could come his way at any time.
“You are constantly taking pictures of what the responsibility is and the role you have when you have to come on. It could change. We could be down a score and then you have to work out what you have to do when you get there.
“Thankfully that wasn’t the case and I got a nice easy penalty in front but you have to be aware of the situation you are coming into, and then kind of work it out and find a solution and thankfully we got in underneath the posts from it.”
The game also allowed Crowley showcase his temperment for the big occasion again. His composure under pressure was evident when he kicked the winning drop-goal against Leinster in the URC semi-final and he says he was fully aware that he came close to running down the shot clock before knocking over his penalty in Paris.
“I’m not sure who was standing to my right, I think it might have been James Lowe… I know it sometime looks – I don’t know what the word is – it’s precious time. He was counting down for me because at that stage of the game you’ve got to be trying to close out the game.
“You can’t be giving them an opportunity because they will take it. You saw that when they kicked to the corner for the maul that they had, so the shot clock up in the corner, you are watching it and it got to 10 and – you’re going to have to find who it was to my right (Lowe), but they were counting down and, yeah, precious time.”
While Ireland fully enjoyed the victory they are aware that on another day, South Africa may have come out on top. There is a good chance the two sides will cross paths again further down the track.
“They are a World Cup-winning side because they disrupt team’s plans,” Crowley added.
They play rugby the way they want to play and that’s how they won a World Cup, just by doing that.
“We knew since we played them in November last year just what a challenge this was going to be. It was not going to be easy. We had our eyes on this, that it was going to be a serious challenge. You’ve got to trust you plan and as a coaching staff and players we all bought into it and thankfully in the end we got the result but it’s not easy. And I’m sure we won’t see the last of them in the competition.”
It was a decent way to mark Crowley’s first trip to Paris. With a couple of days off this week, the out-half was asked if he’ll have time to squeeze in a bit of sightseeing.
“Disneyland Paris! We have to get a pass for Craig (Casey) though. There’s a few old-age pensioners as well. Yeah, maybe Disneyland, we’ll see.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever been here, the first time I’ve ever been in Paris. I think we might have been meant to play in the 20’s when it got called off. (So) I’ll take that, I’m happy with that.”
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