Donal Lenihan: Jack Crowley can kick on with backing of a central contract from IRFU
Far from castigating two highly talented players, like Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast, we should be supporting them in every way possible. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
I remember the great Tom Kiernan offering his wise council on one of the great out-half debates that has, somehow, remained a constant in Irish rugby going back decades. Ollie Campbell and Tony Ward dominated the airwaves at a time when the media coverage for rugby was nowhere near where it is now.
The fact that Ireland were contending for a Triple Crown and Five Nations championship changed all that. As Ireland prepared to face Scotland, sitting top of the log having defeated Wales at a raucous Lansdowne and England at Twickenham, the special pull-out supplements published by the , , , as it was at the time, and the now defunct Irish Press on the eve of the game projected rugby to a new audience.
In my first season on the international stage, I found the whole thing exhilarating. Despite our promising start, much of the press focus was on how Ward, who had exploded onto the international stage a few seasons earlier, wasn’t starting for Ireland.
As coach, Kiernan had to deal with all the outside distractions. No better man. Suffice to say, what he’d say to us in private was different to the soundbites delivered to a wider audience. Everyone wanted a take on the great out-half debate.
Right now, I find myself in Tommy’s shoes. Once you’ve been around a while and have remained closely associated with the game, not only do people seek your opinion, you tend to view things from a broader perspective.
It’s now over 40 years since I first learned to brace myself for the inquisition. The fact that my first few seasons at international level coincided with some unprecedented success, meant that people began to recognise you.
It usually started like this, most often when you got into a taxi. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?” You knew immediately what was coming. “Who do you prefer playing with, Tony Ward or Ollie Campbell?”
My period involved in Irish management, initially as part of the last ever “big five” as the Irish selection committee was known back then, and subsequently as manager, embraced another era of intense debate over who should wear the highly coveted Ireland No 10 shirt.
Eric Elwood and David Humphreys were two established internationals going head-to-head before a young upstart from Munster by the name of Ronan O'Gara started to bite at their heels. As a result Humphreys, in his capacity as the IRFU’s newly appointed head of high performance, is well placed to deal with the excessive noise, driven in most cases by social media, surrounding the merits of Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast for the Irish out-half slot.
How fortunate are we that, after the retirement of an all-time great in Johnny Sexton, we have two such varying and exciting talents in Crowley and Prendergast for the role? As my former Lions team-mate, Scotland international Craig Chambers commented prior to Ireland’s visit to Murrayfield recently on the latest out-half debate, “don’t slaughter them, back them”.
How right he is. Prendergast, even by his own admission, is far from the finished article. How could he be. He was still only 21 at the outset of this season's Six Nations campaign. He does some things brilliantly, not least his capacity in attack, playing flat at the gain line and stressing opposition defenses while, there’s no doubt his capacity to defend in the highly congested No 10 channel is still very much a work in progress.
Having slotted in seamlessly in his first season as Sexton’s replacement, Crowley has been impacted greatly by his comparative fall from grace from the outset of this season's campaign.
Far from castigating two highly talented players, we should be supporting them in every way possible. The fact there’s even the possibility of losing Crowley to Leicester Tigers should have alarm bells ringing, not least in Munster. Despite media reports to the contrary, there’s still issues outstanding for Crowley’s contract impasse to be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties. Crowley has made it clear he wants to stay but his presence should not be taken for granted.
As if things weren’t challenging enough, the prospect of losing such a quality home-grown talent would prove disastrous for Munster rugby. What message would that send, not least to new head coach Clayton McMillan after Munster completed that highly-impressive signing?
Crowley’s outstanding performance against Connacht last weekend offered a timely reminder of how vital he is to the future direction of the province. Right now, as a half back combination, Craig Casey and Crowley are to Munster what Peter Stringer and Ronan O'Gara were 20 years ago.
Every national squad requires a minimum of two quality out halves competing for the No 10 shirt.
Of the 17 English players offered enhanced elite player squad contracts, introduced for the first time this season, three are out halves in current first choice Fin Smith, the highly experienced George Ford and the versatile Marcus Smith.
To have any chance of winning a World Cup you need a minimum of two quality No 10s capable of directing traffic from the bridge. Ireland also need a constant flow of international contenders coming through the ranks at all four provinces.
Right now Tadhg Beirne is the only Munster player on an IRFU central contract. Prendergast has just agreed a new provincial contract with Leinster which appears right given he’s only made the breakthrough for club and country this season and turned 22 in February.
With 24 caps already under his belt, now is the time to reward the 25-year-old Crowley with a central contract. The fact that it would take him off the Munster payroll would come as a deserved reward for the work done within the province to get the Innishannon man up to the level he is operating at now.
Of the 14 central contracts in place at present, Leinster have 11, Connacht two in Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen with Beirne filling the remaining slot. Ulster have none. With three second rows in Beirne, James Ryan and Joe McCarthy included, there’s every justification for at least one out-half to be included in the mix.
The current over reliance on Leinster must be of concern to the IRFU. In addition, the quality of overseas signing in their squad in Jordie Barrett, RG Snyman and Rabah Slimani potentially offers them a stronger match day squad than the national team.
With a crowd of 60,000 expected in Croke Park for Saturday’s Champions Cup game against Harlequins, added to the 82,000 financial bonanza reaped from shifting their URC game against Munster to GAA headquarters last October, Leinster continue to make hay while their regular home at the RDS is being redeveloped.
As for the 27,580 sell-out at MacHale Park on Saturday, Connacht deserve massive credit for showcasing their wares to a wider audience within their province while also adding significantly to their bottom line. The fact that the sold-out signs were posted on the Connacht website within days of tickets for the Castlebar venue going on sale rewarded their bravery in shifting the game in the first place.
The fact that Cork’s Pairc Uí Chaoimh also sold out in days for what, in effect, were two challenge games against a South African XV and the Crusaders should have resonated with the Limerick-centered Munster brains trust long before the welcome confirmation last week that, depending on qualification, a Champions Cup game will take place at the Cork venue next December.
I’ve been arguing for years for this to happen and would strongly support the likes of Killarney’s Fitzgerald's Stadium and Semple Stadium in Thurles also being afforded their chance to host a meaningful competitive game.
It’s about time Munster started to make decisions based on what’s best for the province as a whole. Who knows but, with an extra few bob in the bank, the prospect of keeping our best home-grown talent in the colours of their native province might even become a lot less fraught.
