Graham Rowntree praises Jack Crowley composure ahead of Billy Burns competition at Munster
MORE OPTIONS: Graham Rowntree praised Jack Crowley’s level of composure displayed during Ireland’s successful Guinness Six Nations campaign as he challenged Munster’s new signing Billy Burns to challenge his first-choice fly-half next season. Pic Credit: James Crombie, Inpho.
Graham Rowntree praised Jack Crowley’s level of composure displayed during Ireland’s successful Guinness Six Nations campaign as he challenged Munster’s new signing Billy Burns to challenge his first-choice fly-half for the red number 10 jersey next season.
The URC champions yesterday confirmed the signing of Burns, 29, from Ulster for next season as they moved to add experience to their out-half stocks following Joey Carbery’s impending departure this summer to Bordeaux-Begles.
It capped another busy news day at the province ahead of their return to league duty this Friday at Ospreys following the Six Nations with veteran prop John Ryan and rookie back-rower Cian Hurley signing one-year contract extensions for next season, and a trio of senior players – John Hodnett, Jack O’Donoghue and Simon Zebo – returning to training.
Munster’s Six Nations participants will be drip-fed back into circulation in the next three weeks ahead of the Champions Cup Round of 16 trip to Northampton Saints on April 7 with scrum-half Craig Casey and loosehead prop Jeremy Loughman the first of the Ireland contingent made available for the trip to Swansea this weekend.
Both internationals played against Italy in round two, Test captain Peter O’Mahony, fellow forward Tadhg Beirne and scrum-half Conor Murray played four times while right wing Calvin Nash and Crowley started all five, the fly-half playing all 400 minutes of the campaign having made his first championship start against France in round one.
“I was mightily proud of them all,” Rowntree said. “They all had their own significant contribution, whether it be 10 minutes and Conor Murray coming on steadying the ship, or Jack Crowley playing every minute of the tournament.
“Look at the composure Jack has shown. He's not the finished article and he'd be the first to admit that, and I like how Faz (Andy Farrell) has said they need to keep him on track, so to speak.”
Rowntree is hoping the arrival of Burns will provide similar motivation at domestic level. The Munster boss spoke of his excitement at his decision to join on a one-year contract for 2024-25 and earmarked him for not just providing experience during Crowley’s expected absences at future Ireland camps nor merely helping the province’s younger 10s such as academy playmakers Tony Butler and Dylan Hicks but also to be a meaningful rival for the position in Munster’s biggest games.
“It’s very important, his experience,” Rowntree said of Burns. “He’s been around, played international rugby, played at the highest end and been in some big games with Ulster.
“It’s not just a bridge from the youth to the older players. I want him to challenge Jack. I actually think the way we play the game will really suit him and a change of scenery and he was just really excited by it and I was having spoken to him. I think he’ll be a great acquisition for us.”
The Munster boss described the Bath-born Burns as being at a career crossroads after six seasons at Ulster. Irish-qualified, the fly-half earned seven Test caps from Farrell in a nine-month period between November 2020 and July 2021 but has not featured in national squads since though Rowntree believes coming to Munster will suit both parties as Carbery ends his own six-season stint in Limerick.
“Joey’s decided he’s going to taste something different at this point in his career, I can’t blame him. Billy, yeah, I’m excited by it actually. He’s going to be great and particularly good for helping the young guys come through.
“We need someone with a bit of experience and he’s at a crossroads in his career. He’s 29 and it’s a new challenge for him. He likes how we’re playing the game and I think he’s going to fit in really well.
“When the opportunity came to speak to him I was really excited but having spoken to him, I think he’s going to be a great addition to this squad.”
Rowntree added: “He’s keen to kick on with his career. As I say, he’s at a crossroads. It’s a change of scenery for him and his family, a change of playing style but he’ll give us a bit of experience, obviously with Jack doing what Jack’s doing there’s a bit of void isn’t there.
“We’ve got some great young talent coming through like Tony Butler, Dylan Hicks, Tom Wood but we need a bit of experience. Someone who can help those young guys come through and someone who can play, someone who we think will actually challenge Jack as well. So he ticks a lot of boxes there.”
Tighthead prop Ryan’s new contract comes at the age of 35, and was equally welcomed by Rowntree.
“He's played some excellent rugby for us this season. I think of his performance in Toulon in particular,” Rowntree said.
“He's still got it, has John. He's still got it. He's no spring chicken, his experience around set-piece and as a professional I'm delighted he's extended with us.”
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