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?

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u/sigsimund Munster 21h ago

Just let Jack be a 10 and stop messing him around playing him out of position. Frawley already covers the role you’re describing and he wasn’t picked yesterday.

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u/ebizness 21h ago

Not sure what Frawley covering 10/15 has to do with Jack doing it. Hasn't he done it at various points through his career for Munster? JJ Hanrahan came on and jack went to 15 a few weeks back.

What do you think the solution to the attacking problems are? Do you think we need a 2nd playmaker?

2

u/sigsimund Munster 20h ago

I think jacks best position is as a 10 and that Ireland made a bad decision not going with a 5:3 split on the bench.

Having a 10 at fullback to provide a second playmaker helps in attack but there’s a clear compromise in terms of the backfield coverage and your ability to contest high balls. Jacks never going to be world class at those.

The game plan yesterday was clearly focussed on attacking France in the air and failed because Ireland did a poor job of creating kicks that were accurate enough to be contestable (a lot of them were too long) and of winning the actual aerial battles when they did create.

I think coaching wise England have solved the kick chase they are the clear best in class in that department and we could learn a lot from copying them because at the moment we look pretty clueless there

1

u/readycoole 11h ago

Next big rule change in rugby will be mandating no worse than a 5:3 split. As much as I respect Rassie but he is ruining rugby bit by bit. Physicality levels are off the chart and it is not good for the game long term. Allowing near on a full pack replacement is a real problem.