Jack Crowley among host of players given first-up audition

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: Jack Crowley during Ireland rugby squad training at the IRFU High Performance Centre in Dublin. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Jack Crowley will occupy the No.10 box seat for Ireland when Andy Farrell’s side step up their World Cup preparations on Saturday against Italy - the first of three warm-ups.

The Munster out-half is one of three men vying for the right to back-up Johnny Sexton at the tournament and auditions are very much open for now while the veteran captain sits out a three-match suspension that will elapse in time for the Pool B opener against Romania.

Crowley will hardly be the only man looking to work his way up the internal ranking ladder with head coach Andy Farrell naming a XV that is far removed from the side which will be expected to take on South Africa and Scotland in Paris.

Where to start?

Iain Henderson, who faces a battle to reinstate himself in the second row after injury last season, will captain the team for only the second time and he is paired with the young but green Leinster operator Joe McCarthy who will earn a second cap and a first start.

The front row is basically a second-string with Dave Kilcoyne, Rob Herring and Tom O’Toole looking to bank crucial minutes after a long pre-season and the back row has an experimental look to it too.

Jack Conan will look to make inroads at No.8 given the more recent occupant, Caelan Doris, starts at openside while Ryan Baird will fill out a talented but unfamiliar unit from his slot on the blindside. The balance there will be interesting.

Crowley will have Munster colleague Craig Casey alongside him at scrum-half while Robbie Henshaw will be the only real first-choice face to appear in the starting backline. He is partnered in midfield by Stuart McCloskey.

The Ulsterman’s lack of versatility stands against him in the battle to make one of the 22 squad places later this month but Jimmy O’Brien’s ability to fit any number of nooks and crannies continues with a place in the full-back role.

The wings hold no little interest too. Keith Earls is 36 now but his status with Farrell remains undimmed. This will be his 99th cap and he gets a chance to make an impact on one wing while the forgotten man that is Jacob Stockdale hugs the far touchline.

Cian Healy, Tadhg Furlong and Tadhg Beirne provide some experience – and no little talent – off the bench but the other five will all be hoping to get a good chunk of game time in the battle to play a role come France in September.

Ulster’s Tom Stewart provides the cover at hooker, Connacht’s Cian Prendergast is the other forward option in reserve while Caolin Blade, Calvin Nash and Ciaran Frawley are all firmly in the category of fringe players as things stand.

Frawley, Stewart and Nash are all uncapped. Plenty to play for.

Meanwhile, English-born wing Paolo Odogwu and lock Dino Lamb have been selected to make their test debuts for the Italians.

The pair are among nine starting line-up changes announced by coach Kieran Crowley on Thursday for a second preparatory game for Italy, whose experimental outfit was beaten 25-13 by Scotland at Murrayfield last Saturday.

Ireland: J O'Brien; K Earls, R Henshaw, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; J Crowley, C Casey; D Kilcoyne, R Herring, T O'Toole; I Henderson, J McCarthy; R Baird, C Doris, J Conan.

Replacements: T Stewart, C Healy, T Furlong, T Beirne, C Prendergast, C Blade, C Frawley, C Nash. 

Italy: T Allan; P Odogwu, J Ignacio Brez, T Menoncello, M Ioane; P Garbisi, S Varney; D Fischetti, F Nicotera, M Riccioni; D Lamb, F Ruzza; S Negri, M Zuliani, T Halafihi.

Replacements: L Bigi, P Buonfiglio, S Ferrari, N Cannone, M Lamaro, L Cannone, A Fusco, L Pani.