How Jack Crowley rose to claim Ireland's throne - Six Nations
With the talismanic Johnny Sexton retired, there was fear and anxiety about what the future looked like for Ireland, and how their attack would function without their inspirational leader and fly-half.
In 80 sizzling minutes inside the Stade Velodrome cauldron, Jack Crowley quelled those concerns, driving his country to an emphatic 38-17 triumph. A record win for Ireland over France, and a stupendous way to raise the curtain on their Six Nations title defence.
The 24-year-old assumed the starting No 10 role in his eighth Test and piloted Ireland’s attack with enough poise to promise the post-Sexton era will arrive with minimal turbulence.
Crowley wasn’t perfect – he had a few kicking errors and finished with three turnovers conceded – but it was his attacking touches within Ireland’s game plan which impressed the most.
Inexperienced Test fly-halves rarely have the courage to play flat and challenge the line, but Crowley was an exception when offered the opportunity. He showed natural ball-playing ability which mirrored the icon he has replaced.
The set-piece attack was typical of Ireland’s play and gave Crowley a back seat during the early exchanges.
The fly-half ran the sweep lines out behind the ball-carriers in the midfield so often plotted by Sexton in the past. Below is an example from of a similar play design against South Africa in 2022.
On the first strike play against France, Ireland targeted outside centre Gael Fickou using the midfielders as distributors allowing Crowley to watch from the back.
On the second launch, Crowley played a distributor role looking to move the ball wide on first phase.
On the third, the midfielders finally began playing out the back to get Crowley involved as a playmaker.
Ireland took their quest to create extra numbers to the extreme by using a short lineout and playing number eight Caelan Doris at 10. Jamison Gibson-Park (nine) ran a wider arc to add more width.
Bundee Aki (12) anchored the play as the direct runner and first ball player.
What unfolded was a double screen off Aki, with Josh van der Flier (seven) as the first decoy and Robbie Henshaw (13) as the second, with Crowley injected as the second ball-player.
Crowley (10) had plenty time and space once he received the ball with France playing non-committal drift.
He squared up the nearest defender and offered a late touch at the line, getting whacked in the process by Jonathan Danty.
James Lowe (11) ended up taking the carry.
Although the play didn’t rip France open, it showed Crowley’s willingness to engage the defence with ball in hand.
Taking late hits is part of the job description and even a necessity in order to manipulate men and create space. There are many distributors but few playmakers. Crowley showed he is going to be the latter.
Although the play didn’t break the gain line, France’s edge defence was decimated. Ireland needed just one more phase to capitalise and their speed around the corner gave them the opportunity.
Gibson-Park (nine) fired a miss-pass to Henshaw (13), who played Aki (12) into the remaining space with deft hands.
Ireland’s hulking centre punched through multiple defenders before offloading inside to Gibson-Park for the opening try.
The opportunity came from everyone doing their job, including Crowley, and Aki producing a bit of magic to capitalise.
While Crowley’s involvement as a ball player came from a pre-planned play above, his next came from a heads-up moment in transition after Ireland regathered possession following a chargedown.
France’s defensive line was scrambling and offered large space out to their right. The young 10 worked back into position to orchestrate the next phase.
France were short of numbers from Danty outward, with large gaps between each of the outside backs.
Having already discerned Danty would bite when engaged from the previous play, Crowley sized the situation up and opted to play Aki into the hole outside him.
Aki was guaranteed to burst through the line had he held the pass. Ireland appealed for a knock-on from the hand of Danty however it appeared Aki dropped the ball off his back hip.
The decision from Crowley was correct, highlighting his ability to assess a situation quickly and make a good read in an unstructured situation.
However, Crowley’s play of the night came from a set-piece launch around midfield.
On the first phase Ireland crashed into the midfield with Crowley instrumental in generating a positive gainline play.
They ran a tight formation with Crowley having the option of Aki short or his blindside winger Calvin Nash (14) out the back, also on a short pass.
This time Danty (12) was one defender outside Crowley, Gregory Alldritt (number) marked the fly-half.
Danty sat back on his heels to make the read on Aki or Nash, which allowed Nash to win gainline with a strong carry.
Ireland rolled down the field successfully on this possession pushing France backwards towards their 22.
On the 10th phase Crowley eventually got the same setup with Danty defending the runner outside him, Tadhg Beirne, and delivered a stroke of genius.
The initial setup was just as important as the final play in the passage. Danty had been shown the back-door pass moments before, but this time Crowley changed it up and hit the flat runner with a slight head-fake.
Crowley showed Danty a picture and then feigned that same picture a second time in a crafty piece of trickery. Ireland doubled down on two back-door runners just to sell it even more.
Danty looked to have made the right read, leaning towards Beirne, but there was enough hesitation for Ireland to exploit.
Something about Crowley’s motion and the animation by Lowe and Henshaw sold the ruse, leaving Danty caught between two places.
Beirne’s breakaway put Ireland 17-3 up before the second yellow card offence by Paul Willemse.
Once France were reduced to 14, Ireland weren’t going to be troubled. They were already far superior when it was 15 on 15.
Crowley played more of a distributor role in the second half and wasn’t required to fire any shots, but still showed flashes of class.
He turned a one-handed recovery of a bouncing ball into a snap kick end-over-end showing a high level of skill. He feigned a crossfield kick motion, reloaded, and fired off a pass for his runner. On a kick return he faked out a defender by pulling back a pass only to throw it behind the defender’s back.
Crowley’s time on the ball is special. He seems to have more of it than everyone else and so can make late decisions once the defence has been thrown out of kilter. At Test level that is a luxury.
Vision, late anticipation, fast feet and hands and a bag full of skills to play with. Crowley seems to have all the tools.
He isn’t shy of playing direct and taking contact which is the perfect fit for Ireland’s style of play. They need their 10 to be a creator as Sexton was, relying on timing and precise running lines within the scheme.
Crowley is unlikely to end up with a load of eye-catching stats. It will be line break assists and try assists which show his true worth.
Even still, the Munster pivot beat three defenders and had one line break in addition to his assist for Beirne. He nailed all five of his conversions and added a penalty for 13 points off the tee.
Inevitably, Crowley will make costly errors. But he has the ability to create big plays which negate the mistakes, as it was in his first opportunity to start a big game for Ireland.
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Comments on RugbyPass
looking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
221 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
221 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
16 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
221 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
221 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
9 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
49 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
16 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
49 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
6 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
7 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
221 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
7 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
7 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
7 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
221 Go to comments