Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

I think the anxiety is relating to replacing Sexton with a player who isn't from Leinster, more than replacing Sexton

When Sam Prendergast plays any game, at U20s, or Leinster he makes loads of mistakes, which is perfectly fine, he's very young, but there is never any 'despite his errors' commentary when Sam comes off the pitch.

It's because there is a clear anxiety about replacing Sexton with a player from outside the Leinster system because that has implications beyond Crowley himself.

Well that's not a very pointful debate given that Sexton is retired so they're never going to be competing for a place on the team/ Crowley vs Byrne Vs Prendergast is where it's at. And Crowley is head and shoulders above Byrne and Sam Prendergast is nowhere near ready, physically or from a game development point of view for this level of rugby

Frawley would be ahead of Harry for me, except he's not getting selected at club level so he's not going to be able to improve his game between international windows enough to be a top 5 international standard out half

The nitpicking of Crowley is a bit silly. Lenihan is always a rock of sense.

Crowley is made of the right stuff. Plus there is no glaring weakness in his game. Very Important when it comes to the opposition analysing him.

He mixed the bad with the good but Ireland are 100% in the right hands with him at 10 and also with Farrell coaching him.

Of course the scrutiny of the outhalf is old as the game itself.

From The Archives: England 5 v 18 Ireland

Greatest Irish Victory on English Soil - Monday, February 10th, 1964,

Gibson the inspiration of Celtic Renaissance by John MacWeeney

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The most fascinating feature of this contest was the dominating part taken by the rival out-halves, both making their international debut. For a time it seemed as if the stockey, strong little Brophy was going to capture all the limelight time. Time after time he sidestepped through the apparently impenetrable wall of defence, slipping out of tackles in the manner which made P.B. Jackson such a problem to any opposition.

Brophy, in fact, made many more breaks into the open than Gibson, but so elaborate was his pattern-weaving that he lost touch with his support and the gaps, with just one exception, were sealed off, not however, without constant worry, and difficulty. Rogers and Philips did their best to keep track of the will-o- the-wisp out-half, but apart from helping in the try the more static Weston was hopelessly at sea and the veteran blindside flanker, Ford, was right out of his depth.

More reminiscent of the Welsh rather than the English type of out-half, Brophy had his critics as well as his admirers in this game. He could not maintain pace as convincingly as the more polished Gibson, and as a link he was not in the same class as his rival, but he added a wonderful excitement and stimulation to the affair, and the English selector, surely Mick to Build team around him, he could bring a sorely needed spirit of enterprise into his country’s football.

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