Ronan O'Gara weighs in on Jack Crowley selection controversy

La Rochelle head coach Ronan O’Gara believes Jack Crowley might actually benefit from missing Munster’s recent United Rugby Championship defeat to Leinster.

Crowley’s absence in the interprovincial derby on December 27th in Thomond certainly raised eyebrows and it’s been a talking point since.

The decision to rest the 24-year-old came down to player management protocols agreed with the Irish Rugby Football Union. Crowley was held back to ensure his availability for upcoming Champions Cup matches against Saracens and Northampton Saints.

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Critics believe it deprived fans of a much-anticipated head-to-head with Leinster’s Sam Prendergast. Many had viewed the game as an ideal platform for the two fly-halves to showcase their credentials with the Six Nations around the corner.

Leinster secured a convincing 28-7 victory in Crowley’s absence, with Prendergast putting in a man-of-the-match display.

Speaking on Off The Ball, O’Gara suggested that the decision could even work to Crowley’s advantage: “With the way the game went, and the performance went, it was probably a good one for Jack to miss.

“I can only speak if it was me as the player when I have had that situation. I think he probably needs to refine and go back to what he knows works for himself,” said O’Gara of Crowley’s middling form of late.

“I wouldn’t have any questions over his temperament, I think he’s very, very strong in that department. He’s not in the best of form and then he doesn’t play the key game,” said O’Gara, who has attempted to lure Crowley to La Rochelle in the past.

“Is it the key game for him? Probably not in the bigger picture of things, but it’s still a big game. I would assume that Jack [Crowley] is absolutely itching to put in a big performance.”

Crowley now has a chance to stake his claim in Europe. The fly-half has struggled for form since the Autumn Nations Series, where he appeared to lose his starting position to Prendergast, but a strong showing in the Champions Cup could help turn the tide in his favour ahead of the Six Nations.

Former Ireland international Gordon D’Arcy also weighed in on the issue earlier in the week, calling for a review of the IRFU’s player management system. Writing in the Irish Times, D’Arcy suggested that exceptions could be made in cases like Crowley’s, where key provincial matches align with national selection battles.

‘The URC is doing everything right to promote the best matches and the Irish player management system is envied around the world. However, it was designed 20 years ago, when I was playing, and hasn’t evolved much since then.’ D’Arcy wrote. “No doubt, the festive fixtures still have great energy and are arguably becoming more important than some of the Champions Cup fixtures. Because of that, we deserve to see the best players like Crowley playing.”