Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

it will be a really interesting test study to see why if Frawley settles and becomes a better ten in Connacht. The question of which Leinster players are improving w the coaching there year on year is a good one. Anyway, as far as Ireland goes we are in an ok position at ten. Crowley plus 2.5 or 3 is fine. Bigger problem is centre and back 3, very poor luck to have so many of our centre options on the injury list.

Crowley has become a very solid test ten. He’s not an all black or French but he’d be in the English 23, and he’s the best we have. Back 3 wise, for me Keenan hasn’t been the player he was since his injury. Great for the Lions but he’s gone from one of the best 15s in the world to another solid operator and I think we’ll eye the loss of Lowe. At centre Aki and Henshaw are getting on, for me neither of them will be better come the World Cup.

It’s impossible to know for sure, but there have been a lot of different attack coaches there in Frawley’s time too, and not one of them has been convinced this is the guy to grab that shirt.

We have the same discussion all the time, but I still don’t think anyone can point to even a single game where he controlled a game and ran it well from 10. He’s grand as a helter skelter change of pace 10, but his fundamentals just look completely lacking.

In the interview I heard, he said something like, Frawley is coming to “add depth to the 10 position”. I don’t think one can extrapolate from that, that he sees Frawley as solely a 10 and won’t be used in other positions, or that Frawley is automatically going to be Connachts starting 10. Maybe he said those things in another interview that I haven’t heard.

I haven't said it would be obvious, but I think he would edge it. And it does indeed depend what you want in you 22, but in that regard Crowley is arguably more versatile than Marcus Smith, so I'm not sure that's a point in Smith's favour.

For me, I think Crowley was absolutely excellent against Scotland, and very good against England. The best 10 on the pitch in those 2 games. He was decent/good against Wales, imo, but his place kicking was admittedly an issue.

And, while we can't forgot his kick out on the full in the Italy game, he along with JGP, made game winning cameo's off the bench before that. Some people want to credit JGP exclusively with that but the reality is it was both. (But at least "very good" is an advancement on "pretty good").

For me, while not without the occasional issue, it's the best and most consistent set of games we've had from a 10 since Sexton retired. And I think it'd be enough to claim the Lions 22 jersey.

And fwiw, I haven't said it would be obvious. It could be close, but I think Crowley would get the nod. At a minimum he'd be a strong contender, imo. That's a damn sight more nuanced than claiming he'd be "nowhere near the England 23", imo.