‘He’s just too much of a liability’ – Ex-Ireland star tells ‘mercurial talent’ to ‘go away, put a bit of muscle on’ and ‘get his head sorted out’
'He's just too much of a liability' - Ex-Ireland star tells 'mercurial talent' to 'go away, put a bit of muscle on' and 'get his head sorted out'
Former Ireland and Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald has claimed that Jack Crowley has settled the fly-half debate this weekend, after his “brave” performance in Ireland’s impressive victory over England.
Speaking to BetVictor Casino following round three of the Six Nations, the 38-year-old said: “I think Jack Crowley has settled the debate.
“He’s a mercurial talent, but even in a Leinster context, I think Harry Byrne should be picked ahead of Sam Prendergast.
“Sam’s defence is just too much of a liability. The difference between what you get in attack with him and what you get with Crowley versus the difference in defence—it’s just not enough.”
Prendergast was subject to much criticism from fans after the opening two matches of the Six Nations, when he missed a damning 11 tackles against France and Italy combined. Concerned that his defensive weaknesses could be targeted against England, head coach Andy Farrell was forced to make the switch – one that proved correct in hindsight.
“He’s just too much of a liability,” continued Fitzgerald. “I think he needs to go away, put a bit of muscle on, get his technique sorted out and his head sorted out.
“It was not all just about technique. It’s the head thing too that he’s got to get sorted because he can’t be picked, in my opinion, based on what he’s putting out there.”
“Crowley is really brave”
Crowley’s defensive display against England was far from perfect as he missed four attempted tackles, but he did put his head between the spokes on many occasions, completing 12 solid takedowns.
“Crowley is really brave. Some of the tackles Crowley put in against England were terrific. I thought he was outstanding. He had a couple of dodgy kicks and wasted seven points, which could have been important at one juncture.
“But what he did really well, which he hasn’t been doing at Munster, was that he directed the team around the pitch and didn’t get involved too much in carrying the ball himself. He is a running threat, and he shows that for Munster very regularly.”
Crowley slotted 17 points from the tee as he guided his side to an impressive victory. Having the experienced Jamison Gibson-Park at nine also helped to facilitate Crowley’s game, Fitzgerald claims.
“I’ve been watching Munster closely, and he is carrying the ball way too much, which tires you out and impacts your decision-making. It also means the team can be rudderless at times,” he said
“Having Gibson-Park inside him for Ireland takes a little bit of decision-making pressure off him. He facilitated the team far better. He just got the ball out of his hands and used the 14 other international rugby players that are around him and who are pretty good players themselves.”
“He’s a tough guy”
To kick it consistently at the highest level, it takes more than skill. It takes a hardened and resilient mentality, and an impressive work ethic – something that Fitzgerald believes Crowley has in spades.
“I have always liked Jack’s mentality. I think he’s a tough guy. He’s a guy for the big occasions. He needs to work on those kicks from the tee. Thomas Ramos would have got those ones, Finn Russell too, Johnny Sexton probably, Dan Biggar and Jonny Wilkinson as well. That’s where you want to be aiming for. You don’t want to be aiming for the middle of the pack.
“That’s not what Crowley’s about in my opinion. He’s a super competitor. I saw him ripping into Jeremy Loughman at one point in the game as well, which told me, ‘he’s up for this.’
“He looks confident if he’s pulling guys up for mistakes when he’s only just back on the team. So Jack is in pole position. I think it bodes well now that they have a little bit more certainty about that 10 slot.
“What he’s got now is a nice blueprint to work from that he doesn’t have to think that hard about. To me, that’ll allow him to play well. You need to take as much of the thinking out of that position as possible.”