Jack Crowley ready for Ireland debut three years on from whizzkid days

It’s taken Jack Crowley three years to be an overnight success, from the teenager that captivated the hearts and minds of those that watched him cut a swathe through the 2020 Under-20 Six Nations Championship; or at least three matches of it as the tournament was eventually cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

At that point Noel McNamara’s Ireland side had won a Triple Crown, beating Scotland, Wales, and England, complete with four-try, bonus-point victories. The probability of a Grand Slam vanished as the virus took hold but not before Crowley presented his rugby credentials with an artistic flourish.

His coast-to-coast try against Scotland, one of two in the match, unveiled his attributes to a wider public, the confidence, vision, footwork, acceleration, and strength component parts of an 80m gallop that left blue-clad bodies strewn in his wake. The numbers were impressive — 17 tries in three matches for the team and 38 points for Crowley.

In May of that year, he was voted the All Ireland League, Breakout Player of the Year following his performances for Cork Constitution, largely as a fullback, a position he also played for Munster A in the Celtic Cup.

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The previous summer he’d sat down with Ronan O’Gara seeking the counsel of the former Munster, Ireland, and Lions outhalf because Crowley felt he hadn’t kicked on from making the Irish 19s side.

O’Gara offered the teenage outhalf advice and insight into what was required to play the position at the highest level — kicking spirals, placekicking, dealing with pressure, and game management. Crowley recalled: “It was brilliant to be able to talk to someone of his calibre. He spoke to me a little bit about his time at the Crusaders, their mentality and mindset going into games.”

After Crowley’s tour de force in the Under-20 Six Nations, O’Gara offered him a place at La Rochelle but the outhalf elected to stay at Munster.

Hindsight would cast a harsh glare initially on the decision as Crowley was relegated to the periphery for much of Johann van Graan’s time as Munster head coach, but to understand the player’s decision it’s germane to examine his pedigree.

Crowley, a native of Innishannon, learned his rugby at Bandon Rugby Club and Bandon Grammar School, eventually coming under the tutelage of charismatic Frenchman Régis Sonnes, who had a significant influence. “I learned so much from him, he gave me my first bit of proper coaching. There was no better man.”

Sonnes has returned to Bandon several times since leaving in 2018 to become forwards’ coach at Toulouse and then director of rugby at Agen and is still as widely revered in west Cork as he was when he strolled around the town in his crocs, no socks, cotton sweater and beret in the freezing depths of winter.

The French man said of his young protege in an interview in the Southern Star last year: “Jack is a very good player. He was a special guy in the school, he was the captain, and he was very important to how we played. The best part about Jack is his mentality, he is very strong in his mind, he knows what he wants, and he is developing very well.”

Brian Hickey at Cork Con and McNamara with the Ireland Under-20s would have added little bits to Crowley the person as well as the rugby player. Under van Graan he was afforded limited opportunity — 19 appearances and just seven starts over three seasons including this campaign under new coach Graham Rowntree — and spent a fair chunk of time playing fullback in the AIL. That compromised his progress as an outhalf.

The Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa and an unfortunate injury to Ciaran Frawley provided Crowley with an opportunity which he grasped enthusiastically, starting two of the three matches. He returned with swagger and confidence and despite some mistakes when coming on for Ireland A in the recent game at the RDS there were flashes of that instinct and flair that make him stand out.

Most see it, Rowntree said of his 22-year-old outhalf after the Ulster game: “He’s really grown as a leader. I’m really pleased with that young man.”

Former Munster and Ireland number eight CJ Stander observed: “Jack Crowley is someone they need to pin down and realise that he is going to be the next big 10. He already looks like he is a leader in the squad, someone who really stands out to me.”

On Saturday, Crowley, and a team-mate from that Irish 20s side, Connacht’s Cian Prendergast, will make their senior Ireland debuts off the bench against Fiji at the Aviva Stadium.

Watching on will be Crowley’s family, dad Fachtna, mum Maria, sister Tessa, brothers Jerry and Billy and possibly a healthy tranche of Bandon rugby club. Everyone that saw him play underage rugby for Ireland would have envisaged this day. It matters little how he got here, of greater import is the road ahead.