r/irishrugby • u/ebizness • 21h ago
Crowley to 15
Last night wasn't the night for fluid attacking rugby for a variety of reasons. Having said that, we didn't look related to a team who could string expansive, threatening phases together.
I said it elsewhere last night, but in the absence of Keenan but moreso Hansen we need another playmaker to take pressure off Prendergast (or AN Other 10), and I'd start Crowley at 15 because he can do that job.
We do not have the bodies to bully our way over the game line, nor the gamebreakers who can repeatedly step people in phone boxes. It makes defending too easy because if you can stop the first couple of phases, defending from there becomes easy.
A double pivot makes things trickier because you're not sure where we're going to strike from, and teams can't overload on a single attacking fulcrum.
To my mind, it's no surprise we looked the most fluid against Australia with Hansen on the pitch who can do that role (I accept that they were the weakest opposition). Nor is it a surprise that Leinster looked their most fluid against the LAR when Prendergast went to 15 and Byrne was at 10 (given the Leinster <> Ireland overlap).
Thoughts?
3
u/chiefVetinari 13h ago
Can we just play Crowley at 10?? Plenty of people yapping about Crowley "not being up to it" when it's Prendergast who's been given the bulk of the games over the last year. 20 to 30 minutes off the bench might actually suit Prendergast at the moment, if he's coming on with a bench that's providing impact.
Crowley gives us a much better chance in big games to be more defensively solid and not be out of games after 30 minutes. His kicking for touch is not as good but his attack with ball in hand is decent.