Jack Crowley and Joe McCarthy point to bright Irish future

It's just over seven weeks since Andy Farrell named his first lineup of the 2024 Guinness Six Nations.

When the Ireland head coach sat down in the basement of their hotel on the Algarve, the question around this Irish side was whether or not they would be able to shake off their World Cup hangover.

In the end, they delivered a second successive championship, and while it didn't end with the Grand Slam that they had been heavily tipped for after that opening win in France, had you offered Farrell this outcome on that Wednesday morning at the end of January, he'd have taken your hand off for it.

The reason for the pre-tournament trepidation wasn't just contained in the potential World Cup hangover. The first game of this championship was also the first of the post-Johnny Sexton era.

When Ireland travel to South Africa this summer, they'll do so with Jack Crowley well settled into the 10 shirt.

Very few players have stepped into the team with a heavier weight of pressure on their shoulder, and in his maiden campaign as Ireland's first-choice out-half, the Munster man has banked priceless big-game experience.

The 24-year-old says he isn't going to sit back and bask in the achievement though.

"It wasn't perfect," he said, as he summed up the campaign.

"There is an expectation to rise to the level. As an individual you just need to bring your own game and deliver to what the team needs and at times there were mistakes and whatnot but I have the backing of the group and to play in this group is special. I was very happy."

Last week's defeat to England saw the walls squeeze in on Ireland and the pressure build, and the 17-13 win over Scotland reflected that, with an edgy Irish display coughing up a number of golden opportunities in the