Bernard Jackman reveals the Sharks’ sledge that ‘fired-up’ Jack Crowley
Bernard Jackman has revealed the sledge that riled Jack Crowley up.
Former Ireland hooker Bernard Jackman has provided insight into the spat between Munster’s Jack Crowley and Sharks scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse during the penalty shootout.
The two sides could not be separated in regular or extra time during the United Rugby Championship quarter-final in Durban, meaning that the semi-finalist would be decided by a penalty shootout.
Ultimately, the Sharks would emerge 6-4 victors thanks to the successful kicks of the Hendrikse brothers and replacement scrum-half Bradley Davids.
Jack Crowley nailed both of his kicks too, with Conor Murray also converting his, but Rory Scannell crucially missed one of his two shots.
However, the main talking point of the penalty shootout was not the kicks themselves but the actions of the players, with Crowley and Hendrikse exchanging words during the kicking competition, while the latter has been accused of gamesmanship after going down with cramp after his second kick.
Sharks sledge
There were fiery scenes throughout with Crowley clearly riled up while Scannell also taunted the Sharks’ bench after one of his kicks.
Commenting on the scenes that unfolded, former Dragons head coach Jackman revealed that he has heard some of the verbals that were exchanged during the penalty shootout – one that particularly irked the Munster pivot.
“I’ve actually been sent the ref mic from earlier on for the first kick and someone says to Jack that he’s a 40% kicker before he kicks it,” he said on the RTÉ Rugby podcast.
“So that was obviously why Jack was so fired up, but it didn’t have an effect on the actual result because Jack nailed his two, Conor nailed his, and unfortunately, Rory didn’t.”
While Jackman wasn’t too bothered by the outcome of the match, he did criticise the officials who failed to control proceedings.
The respected pundit has been critical of the officiating in the URC this season, stating that it has only worsened in recent rounds.
“To be honest, the officials are struggling to control things they see every week, so when you see a penalty shootout once every three or four years it’s bound to be not marshalled properly,” he added.
“Even if you look where Scannell was kicking from, he was right beside the Sharks’ bench, so unless the Sharks’ bench are really disciplined, there are going to be verbal there.
“That’s where he was directing his frustration; it wasn’t nice, but I didn’t go to bed that night thinking they were robbed either.”
We can’t be too sensitive around a wink
Former Munster fly-half Jonny Holland also weighed in on the events that unfolded, stating that he didn’t appreciate the timing of the sledging and gamesmanship.
“I didn’t like it and at the time I was like ‘what’s he doing’, but when you settle down and think about it – I don’t think it’s the same as being in a scuffle and mouthing off and saying something I think it’s completely different,” he said of Hendrikse going down with cramp.
“Sledging happens in the game, all game long, when you settle down and think about it, Irish players have obviously given out their fair share, but it’s when you do it, that’s the part of the sportsmanship that I just didn’t like.
“When Conor Murray took that penalty, Lukhanyo Am was stretching his calves on the point where he was putting the tee down – I don’t think it’s a mistake that they started getting cramp, which probably p***ed me off a small bit when I saw that part back.
“It didn’t help that he [Hendrikse] was mouthing off to Jack [Crowley] for the first kick, but again, he’s mouthing off when going past him, it’s his right to try and get in his head if he wants to do that.
“If that’s how he wants to carry himself, then off you go.”
He added: “There was quite an emotional response, obviously from Jack as well, he didn’t like it in the first kick, and he certainly lost his cool for his second attempt.
“I loved that he said to Mike Adamson ‘I’m kicking it’… but I don’t think Mike Adamson did much to simmer that down. Even the chat throughout the game, I think he was trying to answer for himself and couldn’t control the game.
“Long story short, I think we can’t be too sensitive around a wink, at that stage he was on the ground, he clearly had a cramp and he was getting away with what he was trying to do and a harmless wink – who really cares?”
