A little TLC all part of the balancing act as Easterby assures Crowley of his role

The Munster out-half has had to bide his time to regain the No.10 jersey but the interim Ireland coach insists Crowley is appreciated

Fri, 14 Mar, 2025 - 01:05

Simon Lewis

It may be anathema to old-school rugby heads but today’s professional players need to be loved. Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby has done his best to understand the dynamics at play in handling the selection debate surrounding his two gifted fly-halves.

Jack Crowley will start against Italy in Rome on Saturday as Ireland aim to finish their Guinness Six Nations by restoring pride bruised by a French mauling seven days earlier. The Munster star is back in the number 10 jersey for the first time in seven Tests having appeared to be in for a lengthy occupation of his nation’s most-discussed position after being handed the reins in all nine of the Tests which followed Johnny Sexton’s retirement after the 2023 World Cup.

Sam Prendergast had been the reason for Crowley’s ousting and the Irish management’s desire to blood the now-22-year-old at Test level had seen him left on for 80 minutes during the last three championship outings, reducing the Corkman’s participation to cameo roles at full-back. Such was Crowley’s perceived disaffection at his marginalisation that speculation about his future led to an English newspaper story outlining a big-money bid for his services by Leicester Tigers.

All of which left Easterby with the job of making Crowley feel wanted while stressing the positives of Prendergast’s involvements at number 10 whilst adding a first experience of selection disappointment for the Leinster man.

First the pitch for Crowley to stay with Munster beyond this summer when asked if it was possible for a player to keep their Test career on track when leaving the Irish system.

"I guess, we feel and the players know it, they get well looked after here, they are looked after financially, in terms of management,” Easterby said.

"Undoubtedly, we are fortunate that we are able to keep the players in Ireland. Some have gone away and spent time abroad, but we know the system works here and the system works for a reason. There's real alignment between the union and the provinces.

"I've had great conversations through the last six or seven weeks with all the (provincial) coaches, they've been so supportive of what we're trying to do. Players going back, trying to manage game time, trying to get players game time who maybe haven't had it when they're in camp, there was fallow weeks.

"All of those continual conversations, which I think benefit a player. Really, what we're trying to do is give players the best platform to perform. We believe that staying in Ireland allows them to do that."

As that pertains to Crowley, Ireland’s interim boss explained: “I think he gets it. He had a run of games in the last Six Nations where he played and others didn’t, but no, he’s been unbelievably supportive, he gets it, he’s just been working really hard and knowing that an opportunity would potentially come at some point in the Championship.

“As it happens, it comes in the last game, even coming off the bench, he has to cover 10, 12 last week and 15, he’s got a lot to deal with when he’s on the bench, he has to work incredibly hard. But, no, he’s not hard work to kind of have those conversations with.

“He gets it, he’s disappointed like all those players are that don’t get to start to games, but also get to understand the bigger picture and how they can impact the game and support their team-mates in preparation for the game, but also on matchday if they’re in the 23.”

When it comes to dropping Prendergast for the first time in his nascent professional career, Easterby stressed the extended run at 10 which preceded this week’s decision to select Crowley ahead of him.

“Well, if someone had said to him, maybe eight weeks ago, nine weeks ago, ‘you’ll have had four starts in the championship under your belt', he probably would have grabbed hold of that and run with it. He, like Jack, like Frawls, they’re good people first and foremost. They're competitive, they want to start games, they want to get better and they want to keep adding to the group and Sam’s no different.

“He's a young man who has unbelievable potential to kick on and compete for that position for the next 10 years with other players in his position. So I think he'll reflect hopefully on this experience and go, ‘right, this has given me a brilliant experience, a brilliant understanding of what it takes to play and perform and lead a team at this level. Go back to Leinster and have a brilliant end to the season and keep getting better’.

“That's what he another players in his position are about. There’s a lot asked of those players playing in that position. There's the outside influence of you guys and the public and the nation who want the 10 to be that talisman but there’s also the internal expectation of the group and wanting that player to lead the team.

“All of those things mean, I’m sure it's been a pretty physical, demanding time for Sam but also mentally challenging as well but he's dealt with it pretty well and he's been no bother this week. He's just cracked on and worked hard for the guys who are starting.” IRELAND: H Keenan (Leinster); M Hansen (Connacht), G Ringrose (Leinster), R Henshaw (Leinster), J Lowe (Leinster); J Crowley (Munster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster); A Porter (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster), F Bealham (Connacht); J Ryan (Leinster), T Beirne (Munster); J Conan (Leinster), J van der Flier (Leinster), C Doris (Leinster) - captain.

Replacements: G McCarthy (Leinster), J Boyle (Leinster), T Furlong (Leinster), J McCarthy (Leinster), P O’Mahony (Munster), C Murray (Munster), S Prendergast (Leinster), B Aki (Connacht).