Ronan O'Gara: Jack Crowley 'could be the solution'

Ronan O'Gara says Jack Crowley has shown the potential to be a long-term option for both Munster and Ireland at out-half.

The 22-year-old found himself thrown in at the deep end against Australia last Saturday, promoted to start at out-half at short notice, after an injury in the warm-up for captain Johnny Sexton.

Crowley acquitted himself well in a tight, tense game, successfully landing his two place-kicks to help steer Ireland to their eventual 13-10 win.

O'Gara has long been an admirer of his fellow Corkman, admitting in January 2021 he'd tried to bring Crowley to La Rochelle, with the out-half opting to stay and fight for his place at Munster.

Nearly two years on from that decision, it appears to be paying off for Crowley.

"I thought he was very good," O'Gara said, at an event for Benetti Menswear this afternoon.

And while the La Rochelle director of rugby says he believes Crowley could be "the solution" to Ireland's search for a long-term out-half option, it can only happen if he's given consistent rugby.

"I watched him develop for a number of years. I think as a number 10, you get better the more you play and the more comfortable you get in that position.

"You can see in the development of the game, from the start to the end, I think from the start he barely saw the ball he was so nervous, and that's understandable, because you're thrust into a position where you're being challenged to goal-kick, line-kick, to run a backline, to run a team, and he's still very young and inexperienced.

"What he needs now is big games, European games for Munster, games in the Six Nations, and then World Cup warm-ups, he could be the solution."

Crowley has stiff competition for gametime at Munster, with Joey Carbery the more experienced of the