Credit in the bank earns Jack Crowley starting Ireland spot against All Blacks

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said the competition for Ireland's number 10 jersey, and other positions, is "where you’d want it to be".

RIVALS: Jack Crowley, left, and Ciarán Frawley during an Ireland squad training session at The Campus in Quinta da Lago, Portugal. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Andy Farrell backed Jack Crowley to cash in on his “credit” in the Ireland bank by handing the Munster fly-half a start for Ireland against New Zealand on Friday night.

The Ireland head coach handed Crowley the reins in the wake of Johnny Sexton’s retirement following the 2023 World Cup and has been rewarded with a successful Six Nations title defence and a drawn series in South Africa against the world-champion Springboks.