Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Crowley played the full 80, was 5/6 on place kicks, a try assist, 32 passes all to hand, 28 metres on the ground (thanks to a clean break and three defenders beaten) in a game we scored 5 tries and made nearly 400 metres on the ground. All in his first start in the Six Nations. In France. But for me, the most positive thing, was how he was literally available on every phase* for the pass from 9 or out the back door from the first receiver. Insane work rate on top of all other duties.

Like, I dunno. Steering the narrative instead around his mistakes is just something I can't quite understand. As I say above, my theory is on the collective anxiety about replacing Sexton (something Farrell himself would be feeling more than most, to your earlier point).

*provided he hadn't carried or cleaned a ruck in the previous phase.. I counted only a handful of these.

I'd like to watch it again, but on first viewing, I thought it was a brilliant performance, tbh.

Listened to the match review podcasts from Second Captains and the 42. The consensus from both is we simplified our lineout from the approach taken in the World Cup and that played a huge role in winning the game.

Proportionately, we use the lineout to launch attacks more than most sides, but it was taken apart in the games against South Africa and New Zealand. Getting that steady source of set piece attacking ball was a huge relief and a win for the coaching set up.

One caveat is that France really didn't have their best jumpers on the pitch. We haven't really been tested yet on our own throw. But early signs are encouraging.

Just on two of Crowley's "errors" - the blocked-down kick and the chip through that had a little too much pepper on it.

The immediate outcome in each scenario was a loss, yes.

But what those kicks did was establish that Crowley is willing to dink and chip and that at no point could France be fully aggressive with their Edwardian linespeed if it sacrificed too much space in behind the defensive line.

I go back to one of the most impressive things Crowley brought to the game on Friday - the workrate to be running lines as the backdoor option with most attacking pods, creating a three-part threat that's a nightmare to defend. Stay passive, the forwards will get momentum and gainline success (as we did). Rush up, forwads go out the back door to Crowley who can either shoot for a gap, pass out wide or dink in behind you.

Those two kicking decisions lost immediate battles but helped us comprehensively win the war.

No real debate for me..

If Sexton's the GOAT, Crowley's the kid!

<gets coat>...

That’s exactly what’s going on, gushing about how amazing he actually was and hoping someone jumps in to say he wasn’t.

Were there really 4-5 big errors? What did they lead to?

The were a couple of mistakes, sure - the block down, the kick thru that went long and the penalty miss (bearing mind he still had a better kick % than a goal-kicker of the calibre of Ramos on the day).

But that's as good a performance as we've seen from a non-Sexton 10 in years. Away from home in France. In his first 6 Nations start.

People are entitled to be pretty excited about. That doesn't make it hyperbolic. Nor does it make it "rage bait".