Dec 05,2024
At the start of 2024, one of the big issues in Irish rugby was the uncertainty over who would be Ireland's long-term option at out-half, following the retirement of Johnny Sexton.
Twelve months later, we still don't have an answer to that question, but that uncertainty is a positive rather than a negative.
In Jack Crowley, Sam Prendergast and Ciarán Frawley, head coach Andy Farrell has options. Crowley started the bulk of the games in 2024 before Sam Prendergast came in for the final outings against Fiji and Australia, and while Ciarán Frawley didn’t get a start in the 10 shirt during the year, the versatile Leinster back did show enough in flashes to ensure he will still be on the radar next season.
The decision to retain Prendergast in the starting side last week and keep Crowley back on the bench grew a life of its own last week.
After years of bemoaning Ireland’s overreliance on Johnny Sexton, there was a ferocious backlash to the news that the Munster man was wearing 22 rather than 10 at Aviva Stadium, while an unproven 21-year-old was being given the keys to the backline against a good quality opposition.
Prendergast played, and played well, before Crowley and his Munster half-back partner Craig Casey were summoned from the bench with just under a quarter of the game left to play, and the pair’s introduction kicked new life into Ireland, as they closed out a narrow 22-19 win against the Wallabies.
"I guess when you’re watching on the sideline you want to assess how the game is going, and what areas are going well and what areas maybe could be improved.
"Then you look for opportunities that you can maybe go after when you do come on, and you’re trying to get a feel of where things are at.
"Coming on, it’s something you want to be able to step into, that pressure, and the challenge of how quickly you can get into the flow of the game.
"I was excited because it being 150 years [anniversary of the IRFU], we were behind on the scoreboard and I knew how important it was for us as a group, that we wanted to finish off with a win."
The 24-year-old's response to losing his starting place was bullish and hugely impressive, and probably leaves him top of the consensus depth-chart for Simon Easterby when the first game of the Six Nations rolls around.
And Crowley says there was no chance he would look inward and feel sorry for himself.
"If you start thinking about yourself first, thinking 'Why not me?’ or ‘Why me?’, asking those questions and going inward, rather than thinking about what the week means for the group, if you started thinking about yourself, that would be quite selfish.
"You want to try and do your best for the group, because ultimately when you’re having a beer together in the changing room after, that’s the moment you want to be able to enjoy as a rugby player."
The Corkman is also well aware of the scrutiny the Irish rugby public put on their out-halves, which he says is a natural result of several decades of top class tens.
"I guess all out-halves love the attention, don't they? We all love being talked about!" he joked.
"The way in which the lads before us have delivered in the Irish jersey, the Irish number 10 jersey, you often hear about the motto of leaving the jersey in a better place and making sure that the next person is ready to take it from you, and delivering.
"That’s probably something that makes it so special, this challenge or opportunity in front of us now as tens, the likes of who have gone before us like Ollie Campbell, David Humphreys, ROG [Ronan O’Gara], [Johnny] Sexton, and forgive me for the lads I’ve left out, we’re fortunate that we can maybe take that jersey to a special place next.
"I think it’s only natural that there is that noise – noise is obviously a word that makes it sound like a bad thing – but it’s the situation that’s in front of us, so it’s hard not to address. It’s one that excites all of us, whether it be myself, Sam, Frawley or whoever else it may be.
"I think there’s that special feeling to the 10 jersey. Certainly, you all want to be the one that's driving the ship."
