While Sexton has dominated Ireland's number 10 shirt for more than a decade, there's never a dull moment in the depth chart:
THE MOST INTRIGUING decision Andy Farrell made on Saturday in the win over Italy was to send Ciarán Frawley on at out-half, with Jack Crowley shifting to fullback.
So Crowley having 40 minutes at fullback helps him to tick the box marked ‘versatile,’ given that he has also played at inside centre for Munster. Still, leaving one of Crowley or Byrne out seems a little unthinkable. Byrne played in all five games of the Grand Slam campaign this year, starting the Italy win, while Crowley added to his growing reputation last weekend. He delivered a good performance in the win over Italy.
The ball also drops outside the Italian 22, meaning they can’t mark the ball. Crowley’s kick allows Robbie Henshaw to get into the contest and though Italy fullback Tommaso Allan just about wins it, the quality of Crowley’s kick is clear. Again, he generates great power to find touch a few metres from the halfway line. It’s a superb kick from that position.
Crowley generally took these front-door options well and Farrell was pleased that he didn’t “overplay” by forcing the ball wide before there were genuine opportunities to do so. He’s generally ambitious in having cuts at the defensive line himself too, as in the case below on a scrum starter play. Watch how his excellent chop tackle on Menoncello below allows Caelan Doris to win a turnover penalty.First, he chops in low on Juan Ignacio Brex to help ground him as McCloskey fights to strip the ball.
Indeed, it was some of Crowley’s defensive work that caught the eye as much as anything else when he moved to fullback. Again, it’s not as glamorous as some of the other stuff he does but this kind of defensive attitude from Crowley is important.
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