Ireland's Jack Crowley has come a long way since asking Santa for a France jersey

HO HO HO: Jack Crowley during an Ireland rugby captain's run at Parc des Sports Jean Dauger in Bayonne, France. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Jack Crowley has come a long way since he asked Santa for a France jersey ahead of the 2007 World Cup and had to settle for an Ireland one.

Saturday evening at Stade Jean Dauger he will pull on the Irish number 10 for real, with the intention of taking a step further towards a more intense World Cup dream.

The Munster fly-half has been handed the Ireland reins by Andy Farrell for Saturday night’s final pre-tournament tune-up against Samoa in what will be his third Test start, not quite 10 months on from his international debut off the bench against Fiji.

Crowley’s rise to the brink of World Cup selection in such a short space of time is nothing short of remarkable. When he made his Test debut last November 12 at the age of 22, the West Cork man had started just six times at number 10 for his province and was behind Joey Carbery and Ben Healy in the Munster pecking order.

That circumstances dictated the following week that Crowley would make his first start, in a blockbuster clash against Australia, further accelerated the rise, though it was not until the run-in to the URC campaign that the Innishannon playmaker, following a season at 12 and 15, finally nailed down the Munster No 10 jersey.

Despite taking control for the remarkable run of away games to the URC title, including a match-winning drop goal against Leinster in the semi-final, Ireland attack coach Mike Catt issued a reminder this week that Crowley’s career at fly-half is still in its infancy.

Which brings us back to that Christmas wish 16 years ago and a first World Cup memory.

“I think I wanted a French kit,” Crowley recalled this week. “It was 2007, 2006, and I wanted the French kit, the away one, it was just something I remember writing down, France and New Zealand, and wanting the two away kits. And I got neither!

“I got an Irish kit, so Santa was obviously trying to say something.”

FOLLOW-THROUGH: Jack Crowley practices his kicking. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Ironically it was a Frenchman who had a significant hand in sparking Crowley’s development as a teenage out-half. Rugby had been huge part of his life growing and following elder siblings into the game at Bandon RFC and then into Bandon Grammar School, where renowned coach Regis Sonnes pitched up on a sabbatical and guided the fly-half through fourth and fifth year.

“And then in sixth year we unfortunately lost him to Toulouse but I suppose that was fair enough,” Crowley said, only half-joking. “It’s a fair enough comparison if you balance out them two.

“And he has come back as of this season. He’s working with the school and the club and he’s a fella I still stay in touch with. He’s a great character.

“His famous saying was ‘why not’ when you look for a tap from your own five in a senior cup quarter-final. He’s saying ‘why not, do it’ and you look at him laughing.

“Yeah, he’s a great character and a great insight into the game and I suppose from a different perspective as well. It’s great to have him back in the area because he did so much for rugby.”

Crowley is doing his bit too, and one can only imagine the spark he has ignited in the next generation of Innishannon rugby players by bringing the URC trophy back to his old national school, Scoil Eoin, earlier this summer.

Now 23, Crowley was more than happy to see older team-mates such as Ireland squad-mates Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Keith Earls get their dues with that long-awaited first Munster trophy in 12 years that came with the URC final win over the Stormers in Cape Town.

Yet having his hand at the controls for that run to the title was worth its weight in gold for the young fly-half.

“Massive, massive. You know you build the game-feel and that game-understanding in true game-time and seeing things and gaining that experience and you can work on things that you are seeing. 

"But that run of games was massive as you can build that game-feel and there were errors, no doubt, but you get an opportunity the next week to work on that, so that was brilliant for me.”

That his next start after that final was at number 10 for Ireland, in their opening summer series game against Italy will have been a similarly rewarding experience, though he found himself at full-back for the second half when starting 15 Jimmy O’Brien was forced off with a shoulder issue.

Crowley is excited to get back in the saddle at fly-half, and philosophical about having to switch position.

“You always want to get game time and put what you work on into practice. So, I’m looking forward to putting it into practice.

“However the way that we play is quite fluid and flexible, and being able to play within that system no matter where you are, you’ve still got to make decisions and you’ve still got to do the right things. The responsibility is still the same.

“I know the number on the back might be different but you still got to perform. So, whenever you’re on the pitch it’s good to get game time, but it’s also important that you perform.”

Perform under pressure will be a given against Samoa Saturday night, with World Cup squad selection so close it will be a battle to keep it out of players’ minds, though Crowley appears to be in a good space.

“I think Andy and the coaching staff have done really well in dealing with that and everyone knows it’s down to performance and you have got a responsibility when you get selected to perform for the group.

"And that’s what our ultimate priority is. You have got to forget about that aspect of it and you have to perform at the weekend if you want to be picked so that’s the main priority.”

It sounds easy but asked how easy it was to park that selection anxiety, Crowley’s replied: “At times, yeah.

“When you put on that jersey you have responsibilities so for me that’s the main thing, you have got to perform and everything after that will hopefully look after itself.”