Crowley's biggest strength compared to Prendergast is that he can tackle and handle bringing the ball into contact.
His pass for the disallowed try to Keenan and the pass for the try to Conan at the end of French game are only possible if you're willing to risk getting tackled. Prendergast is a better technical passer of the ball but his effectiveness is hampered by him not wanting to risk being tackled.
What’s the deal with Gleeson? He’s only gotten 230 minutes with Munster this year in 8 appearances. Has he been injured or is has his underage form/power not quite translated to senior rugby yet?
I’d be expecting Farrell to be suggesting him and Hugh Gavin get fast tracked considering they were standout players at U20 and look physically big enough to be starting regular URC games at least. I expect them to be capped in Summer depending on injuries but need to be getting more minutes in the URC.
Henry Pollock whose a year younger for comparison was played 977 mins across 18 games (although two of those have U20 and one an England A game) this season.
Henry Pollock made his senior England debut on Saturday and scored twice. The commentary team seemed to think he was still eligible for U20s this year, although I don't know that that's true. I'm not sure any young Irish backrower can be usefully compared to him, unfortunately.
And how many of those caps were
A. Consistent
B. He started or played at 6?
He or any other 6 need a proper run in the team, not 1 or 2 games before being cut for POM time and time again.
I like McNabney too and think he could be the man, but knowing us we’ll probably drop him after 1 game if he doesn’t put in a POTM performance, call POM out of retirement and then wonder why we are struggling at 6… It’s the Irish way!
But that’s a national team problem. Leinster are unbeaten all season, have scored the most points in URC while conceding the least so that game plan is obviously working for them. Nienabar shouldn’t not be kept on because the Irish coaching team can’t adapt/or get their ideas across.
I think he played U20 in the earlier games.
Looking back at the Italy game, the amount of knock ins was mind boggling…a tell tale sign of a side that isn’t focused, which tells there’s issue with the coaching.
Bloody hell. Some pup.
England's under 20s team this year are huge.
So POC, Sexton and Easterby going on Lions tour as coaches so who will run the summer tour?
I still can't believe they didn't win the u20 6N.
Agree with you, but the problem is when the national team is so reliant on Leinster's success it bleeds through. It's very hard for Ireland to play differently to Leinster when they contribute 75% of the match day 23 for most games.
Why can't you just ask the question without referencing somebody else?
He was awful defensively yesterday. I think he gets another game because of his history.
I'm starting to wonder if he should be a 13. He can play full back and on the wing, that would suggest he is made to play 13.
I'll respond to you when you acknowledge you were chatting absolute nonsense by saying Osborne was 'very poor' against France despite the mountain of evidence presented to you which suggested otherwise - which you conveniently ignored.
You've been proven to argue in bad faith so until you prove otherwise, you're not worthy of an adult conversation with me.
He's played 13, with Frawley at 12. They complimented each other well
I don't think I'd buy that assessment. I agree that Prendergast needs to work on his carrying in its own right. However his passing game is built around delayed passes. He takes it right to the line and that hesitation is what stalls defenders and creates space for others.
The counter point to that is how valuable it is to the attack to have the OH so regularly at the bottom of ruck? It is all about finding the right balance.
Personally, I agree that Prendergast can turn the dial up a bit more on how frequently he follows through on attempting to make breaks but nearly everything regarding the selection decisions for the majority of the tournament points to the coaching ticket being ok with, if not actively telling, him to continue as he is.
Crowley's biggest strength compared to Prendergast is that he can tackle
I was at the game and haven't watched it back, but in the first half it very much looked like he missed a simple first up tackle on one of their centres to concede a massive linebreak. He'd want to be making those if it's meant to be a big differentiating factor between him and Prendergast.
Doesn't that suggestion illustrate how the IRFU have made serious errors in favouring Leinster? A player is being touted for the national team who will likely not play in serious matches for our leading club.
Other errors include allowing Syman to come to Leinster (if he couldn't stay with Munster then he should have been told Ulster and Connacht were his options) and Barrett similarly (Leinster have at least three potential internationa centres already).
Without adding much to the SP/Crowley debate, its no surprise to me that SP looks better at club level - hes getting a rolls royce service from a dominant pack while Crowley is trying to cope behind the worst Munster pack in years.
Why should Leinster be refused NIQ signings?
And how is it 'favouring' a club to take all their players for two months?
Well don't respond then I've no interest in chatting to someone with Leinster goggles on anyway.
They aren’t “taking” Leinster’s players. They’re the IRFU’s players, the IRFU pay their wages.
Then they aren't favouring Leinster either, are they? If they're all just IRFU players at the end of the day sure.
They should be refused when they are taking game time from Irish internationals.
Sometimes they don't
https://www.sportsjoe.ie/rugby/leo-cullen-rg-snyman-leinster-340923
Munster signed Holloway, Arno Botha and Cloete which took game time away from JOD and Coombes? Does that logic apply there too?
Not really, a situation where one provence can have 3 NIQ's & the other none would never be accepted.
As a club leinster like the other 3 wil do & sign what & who they deem give them the best possible chance of winning.
Re your Sam point it would be interesting to see how he goes at club level without a dominant pack in front of him, I think he went to SA last year & didn't get an armchair ride but it doesn't happen 2 often, not his problem tho
You need serious squad depth at club level to soak up 13+ players heading off on international duty.
Look at Munster, pom & Murray aside we have Beirne who looks knackered, Nash injured again, Crowley returning ok.
It's a good job we don't have any more internationals thus risking injuries & reducing availability of club minutes, we are fooked enough as it is
Just looking a the high level experience young players have across the 6N, guys like Gailleton, Arundell, Mason Grady, Connone, Ollie Smith and a few others have thousands of minutes in URC/Top 14/Prem matches by the time they are 21 or 22, and test caps quite quickly. Just a totally different scene to Ireland where a 21 year old making starting appearances for Leinster, Munster or Ireland is totally exceptional. It's a real issue in Ireland, and it has something to do with Leinster's relative abundance.
