Crowley had a stinker in December away in Castres and the media jumped all over it. No consideration was given to the fact that it was probably the Munster packs worst performance of the season, where a gamble on starting Gleeson didn't pay off and that Craig Casey also went off injured in the first half. Subsequently this seems to have stuck in peoples minds and defined his season while his brilliant recovery performance against Northampton away was largely ignored because Munster lost and the Sam narrative was in full swing.
I would start Crowley, and don't have a problem if he starts all three big games this autumn. I think he's the better player at this moment in time, and my real hope would be that he seizes the opportunity and nails down the jersey going into a RWC.
Similar I don't really care who emerges to claim the #17 shirt behind Porter, I just really hope one of them (McCarthy, Boyle or even Milne) shows themselves capable at this level. My money is on Paddy McCarthy.
The other interesting selection is at 6 - he'll either go with Beirne (and then Ryan & Henderson in the row) or Baird I think. I don't see him going a different direction right now. My prediction is Beirne.
My predicted side:
(15-9,1-8):
Osborne, T O'Brien, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe, Crowley, Gibson-Park, Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Ryan, Henderson, Beirne, van der Flier, Doris
Reps: Kelleher, P McCarthy, Bealham, Baird, Conan, Casey, Prendergast, McCloskey
(it's not the team I myself would pick, but it's what I think we will select).
Honest question; do you think if Farrell picks Prendergast ahead of Crowley for Chicago it would be a mistake?
His kicking is excellent. He scored an absolute peach last season kicking for himself and gathering after side-stepping a couple of defenders. I haven't seen him fielding, but he can defend, which is a weak point in most of England's wingers.
I don't know if it's an actually workable plan. The guy is seriously gifted but IMO would be wasted on the wing. Then again, if he's not one fo the first-choice back rows, it might be a useful tactic to get their best players on the pitch.
Crowley was coming into the new year with a 29% goalkicking success rate in the URC. His kicking from hand was no better - he was missing touch from penalties, aimlessly kicking from hand. He was very poor - it is absolutely not being overegged. He got a lot better after the new year.
And yes, I'm sure some of it is explainable about the coaching turmoil.
Isn't that what happened to France against Ireland last year? They had a 6:2 bench and injuries forced the 7 to play on the wing from early in the game. So they're training for 6:2 contingencies?
Has anyone suggested he's planning to start Pollock on the wing?
As I remember it, he wasn't good at the start of the season*. As pointed out above, he had turned it around by the 6N but it was too late from an Irelandperspective. I thought he was on good form by the end of the season
*Munster were also poor at the start of last year and the coach left at about 5 games in.
Is this grounded in reality at all or what? And would anybody here think anything of it? I find it surprising given the number of exciting specialist wingers I see playing in the Prem these days. What’s Pollock’s kicking like, for example?
Steve Borthwick is considering playing his fast-rising back-row Henry Pollock on the wing at some stage this autumn as he seeks fresh impetus in all areas before the looming November Tests.The England head coach says he wants his side to hit the ground running against Australia on Saturday and may also start Ben Earl at centre this season.
Steve Borthwick is considering playing his fast-rising back-row Henry Pollock on the wing at some stage this autumn as he seeks fresh impetus in all areas before the looming November Tests.
The England head coach says he wants his side to hit the ground running against Australia on Saturday and may also start Ben Earl at centre this season.
I think the more pressing question is what shape Ireland's attack is going to take, and whether it will be shaped around the OH or vice versa. Do they want to build around a multiphase passing attack, or something closer to what Munster have been doing?
I hope we see a similar jump in performance under Goodman, that we saw under Catt in the 2021 Nov games.
Picking Crowley now that he's playing well does not mean that dropping him when he was playing less well was a mistake.
The Farrell critics here always complain he does not pick on form, but like it or not, 12 months ago and continuing on into the 6N, Prendergast was the guy in form and got picked. And still Farrell got absolutely roasted. "can't for the life of me figure out why!"
Now Prendergast is in a slump, Crowley looks to be in form and will likely get the nod. I don't see the problem.
completely agree, he wasnt at his best but his form hadnt completely evaporated either
That may indeed be so or I may disagree, but I will say it's odd how we don't/didn't see that replicated across the team. There have been occasions where players have been playing like drains and others can't get a look-in.
FWIW I find it bizarre that a young 10 who had just lead his team to their first trophy in donkey's years and an Ireland team to the Six Nations on the 'difficult' year would be jettisoned so quickly on the back of performances like Crowley had put in. Just one of the calls Farrell got wrong (and that's okay, he's not infallible), think we jumped the gun on SP a bit too early. Maybe he'll (SP) have a storming AIs and 6Ns and all will be well and we'll have two strong contenders for the jersey, which is good.
Im not sure any of his performances last year before the 6N put him ahead of SP in many peoples minds. He wasn't 'poor' but he wasn't doing enough to hang onto the jersey either.
Crowley's poor form last season is totally over-egged on here, can't for the life of me figure out why! He had some very good performances.
The answer is Osborne seems to be the back-up at the moment. It was Jimmy o Brien a couple of years ago. JOB was in Ireland squads at the time and was starting a lot at full back for leinster around the same time.
Jamie Osborne was around but hadn't really broken through at the time. Since he's broken through he's looked best at 12 (in my opinion) , but he's being shoehorned into squads in full back, on the wing and at 13 (I think). Barrett kept him out of 12 last year when he might have competed with Henshaw for the 12 jersey. And this season Keenan is injured so they seem to be focusing on playing him at 15 for both leinster and Ireland. Open to correction on that, but that's how I remember it.
Beyond that, the 3 O'Brien twins - Jimmy is out of favour (not sure why), Tommy is in favour and they're both being coached by older brother, Seán
Are they not brothers? I always thought they were.
The O Briens aren't brothers, the Osbornes are (I think).
Brothers??
Osbourne started at full back in his first four test games.
Jamie is the most valid option there currently.
Which brothers are you talking about?
I remember watching Crowley play at Franklin's Gardens in January and he was brilliant. He was the single reason why Munster stayed in that game (which they ultimately lost). So to me he had rediscovered his form just as the 6Ns came round again, but by then the die was cast.
Whose the backup to Keenan at Leinster. Is it Osbourne or one of the O'Brien lads? If it's one of the brothers then why are people picking Osbourne at full back?
Completely agree. It’s never a black and white call although some people would like to portray it as that with regards the two of them.
Crowley wasn't playing particularly well last year but has been very good so far this year. Prendergast on the other hand looks like he’s having a bit of second season syndrome after some very good performances last year. I thought he deserved the shirt last year in the 6N but I’d definitely pick Crowley on current form. It could all be reversed come 6N time depending on how the next few months go but isn’t that what we want in every position on the pitch?!
Don't mind who plays 10 but really hope we don't go 6-2.
I wouldn't be surprised, the unknowable is that Crowley has been playing very well which isn't something we'd have said at any stage last season, he played ok maybe, but not as much daylight as we've seen this season.
Benching SP means you have one of your subs who only covers one position.
Benching Crowley means you have a player that will cover definitely 2 at a push 3 positions.
I suspect for the nxt 4 games we will see starts split equally between the 2 no 10's.
After that its whoever has grabbed the jersey to nail a more permanent starting role.
If SP doesn't start v NZ then he simply must start v SA otherwise its not learning the most about him esp if a pack is on the back foot.
if i had to put money on either of them starting itd be SP. I dont think he should but i can see it happening
A reason not to start SP is Jordie Barrett knows his game inside out and in particular his faults, at times he could be seen coaching SP when he was at Leinster.
Yago Fernandez, a centre in that squad, played a few games for Terenure in AIL over the last couple of seasons.
Don't need a general one. Match thread later in week when teams are named.
Is there a separate Ireland A thread?
I can't see it.
here's the Spanish Squad
