You've said there were 4-5 big errors. I'm simply asking you what they were. I don't think that's unfair.
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.
Why did they schedule Ireland v France first week?
6 Nations is dead already. We are winning the slam. You can pretend to be humble and act as if competition is high but the rest of the teams are useless. Look at the state of the Wales and Scotland teams. Look at the tries Scotland scored, no chance they'll score easy tries like that v us.
Look at the way Wales played and scored points to get back in the game. Not a hope in hell they'd score like that against us, we'd win penalties and knock them back in tackles, force knock ons before they'd even get into our 22. Connacht would beat both of those teams themselves!
If the french stop giving a **** about the 6N, then we will dominate for years to come.
Fcuk me this place can be a provincial cess pit at times.
Some of his 'errors' were not 'bad decisions' at all
Kicking the ball dead over the dead ball line was a mis executed kick, so yes that's an error, but was it a bad decision? Well, what was he trying to achieve? When you're looking at a game as a game of strategy and moving assets around a pitch (which is what a great out half does) then sometimes you need to make low percentage plays in order to show your opponents that you're prepared to make those plays, and this changes how they defend against you
If you're playing a really conservative 10, you can ignore him as a direct attacking threat if he always moves the ball and rarely executes the kicks or long passes himself, and this means the defence can focus more on the support players and they'll have less space to run into
Its like in Poker, if you make it really obvious early in a tournament, that you're a 'loose' player, your opponents will play differently against you, so it's a good strategy to gamble on cards you're likely to lose early on, and show them early, in order that people will gamble more when you stay in a hand. If you only ever play the high percentage cards, then even when you get the pair of Aces, your opponents will fold to you and you'll not make any money and will lose plenty of hands that you would won if you had stayed in the game.
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
If there were really 4/5 big errors, then it shouldn't take much dissection
If there were 3 minor errors, then you might revise your analysis of his performance
TBH, on first viewing of lots of games, Its easy to get a misleading idea of how any particular player performed. Loads of 'experts' were saying Doris, for example had a quiet game but he was actually incredibly good, just not always doing the things that your eyes were immediately drawn to on the first, emotionally charged viewing.
Gibson Park is very important for us, more important than Sexton was the last couple years imo. He's a livewire and never shirks responsibility.
Not sure we need to be concerned about Crowley, nor do I think him being in the team is massive to our chances. We no longer rely on individuals, the team is well oiled with quality all over. Can understand why Munster fans would be gleaming thinking a back of theirs has made it into the Ireland first choice 15 though.
You could put Ross Byrne in and it wouldn't make any difference.
Practically everything we do is down to hard work, repeated on the training pitch.
Not really McCarthy had a good game and was praised, similarly Crowley had a good game with some minor errors, was mostly praised and 4 days later we are getting breakdown posts of how great he actually was and naked provincialism from one poster who is obsessed with Leinster and sexton.
Also worth pointing out Crowley is not a kid, he's 24.
Ntamack is just a few months older than him and started in the 6N 5 years ago.
This video will be the other way around
Ross Byrne simply doesn't have the same line-breaking ability that Crowley has, or takes it as flat to the line. I'd wager you'd have to go back a fair while to find him making the 28m carried that Crowley made in this game.
And France had a decade of underachievement, where their highest 6 Nation's finish was 3rd, before they decided to play a 19 year old Ntamack. You can't say remotely the same for Ireland.
But the post you agreed with called them "4-5 big errors". But now you're saying "some minor errors"?
That's not the same thing.
Fwiw, I absolutely agree, they were minor errors.
Like I said just looking for an argument
I thought Jack Crowley was absolutely fantastic at the weekend.
I know the development landscape has changed in the last 15 years and I know they're not like for like.
But I do think it's incredible that he is still younger than Sexton was making his debut against Fiji in 2009. So to be able to do what he's doing at just 24 is a really encouraging thing. Although the Fiji debut is a small misnomer as the next week he started against South Africa and kicked all 15 points and played the game with a broken hand!
(Incidentally - in looking up their age comparison I did notice that Ireland played their 2 away games to France and England in the 6 nations in 2010 - the year a 24 year old Sexton started going toe to toe with ROG for the 10 shirt. Johnny started in Twickenham, played 70 minutes and played bloody well to steer Ireland to victory - so some very nice poetic comparisons)
Anyway. Digression begone.
Crowley went to one of the toughest away games against the toughest opponents and showed variety and confidence. I love how he strikes the ball. Drilled everything over the posts.
I wouldn't envy anyone who had to take over that 10 shirt. But so far he's done it with aplomb. Hopefully it continues
If it was another player you wouldn't say they are minor
In my opinion all of the players who took the pitch had a great game, including Crowley. But people are allowed to be slightly critical of Crowley without Munster fans losing the plot which is what seems to be happening at the moment.
Also a number of players made errors during the game but overall it was a great performance. Excellent win for Ireland but we need to continue now and at a minimum win the 6 nations.
I wonder how you would have described the error if it was Harry Byrne on the pitch for instance? 😂
Absolutely not true. I've praised plenty of players from every provinces on here over the years.
But people are allowed to be slightly critical of Crowley without Munster fans losing the plot which is what seems to be happening at the moment.
People are also allowed to ask what the "4-5 big errors" were without it being painted as "rage bait".
Considering his age and limited experience I think Crowley played well. There is a lot to work on but he certainly seems to have the mentality and skill set to improve as he plays more higher level games.
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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I didn't say you don't praise players. I am saying that if it was a Harry/Ross Byrne made the same errors you would be all over them and pushing for Crowley 😂
Again, just not true. I've outlined my reasons a number of times for why I'd pick Crowley ahead of Harry or Ross Byrne. It seems Andy Farrell agrees with me.
I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who disagrees on that right now
Which is exactly my point.
There's no anxiety about replacing Sexton. Sexton was a generational talent. He was always going to be gone some day. The new 10 has a fresh start. No matter what province he plays for. Ireland have so much talent around the pack that any 10 has a chance to lay down a marker. I'm fully on the Crowley bandwagon. I couldn't give a shite were he's from or who he plays for. He's a good 10 and he will improve.
You get really defensive about Munster players...
I haven't read the article but Paul's tweet is 💯 correct, especially, here on this thread.
Crowley played very well. He's got all the attributes needed. He's there on merit. I'm a big fan. I hope he guides us to the slam.
Nobody is saying Crowley shouldn't be playing, the point is that if another player like Harry was playing and made mistake you would be all over it, yet as it was Crowley they are passed off as minor. Anyway too many posts on this already
Crowley had a great game as I said and hopefully he can continue for rest of tournament
This is one of those things you can assert to be true without having / being able to provide any evidence of it. I don't think it's remotely true. Even in this game, where overall we played brilliantly, other players made mistakes that I haven't mentioned.
Anyways, I'm inclined to agree with this:
Anyway too many posts on this already
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://w8.vanillicon.com/v2/8a022abb175d445f2b5b8a1c545f3d3f.svg)
