Jack Crowley: Out-half competition 'a sign of a good thing'

When Jack Crowley addressed the media on Tuesday afternoon, the assumption in the room was that the Munster out-half would be restored to the starting line-up this weekend, for Ireland's final Test of 2024.

That assumption was born from the usual trends of media gigs in the week of a game. For the most part, if they’re sitting at a trestle table with a microphone in front of them, more often than not it’s a good sign.

It’s not an exact science, and there was one player this year who was put forward on a Tuesday, only to be dropped from the squad entirely when the team was revealed later in the week, but given the week that was in it, the signs were that Crowley would be back in the 10 shirt this afternoon against the Wallabies, after Sam Prendergast had worn it last week.

The 24-year-old sat out last week’s win against Fiji, having started each of the previous nine games, helping Ireland win a Six Nations and also secure a drawn series down in South Africa.

Andy Farrell wouldn’t have named his team to the squad until Wednesday this week, but the likelihood is that when Crowley was fielding questions on Tuesday about coming back into the side this weekend, he would likely have predicted Prendergast was getting the start, based on their reps in training.

In a game designed for all shapes and sizes, no position gets more attention than out-half, as illustrated by the last three weeks in Irish rugby discourse, with the debate raging over who of Crowley, Prendergast and Ciarán Frawley will be Farrell’s long-term option in the 10 shirt.

"I think obviously now there is a lot of attention on it but ye all know as much as I do, that magnitude of the number 10 jersey has been in the history of Ireland as long as you can remember,"