HAVING RECOVERED FROM injury to reestablish himself as Ireland’s principle back-up to Johnny Sexton in the summer of 2021, Joey Carbery was yesterday omitted from Andy Farrell’s 37-man Ireland squad for this year’s Six Nations.
We won’t know who Farrell sees as the most likely candidate to replace Sexton — either during a game or in the starting lineup if doubts remain over his captain’s fitness — until the Ireland boss names his team to face Wales on 4 February.
All we know is that it will be a choice between Leinster’s Ross Byrne and Munster’s Jack Crowley, and RTÉ pundit Jamie Heaslip is in no doubt as to who he would pick between the pair next month.
“To build that pipeline, you’ve got to give game-time,” the former Leinster and Ireland back row said at the launch of RTÉ and Virgin Media’s coverage of the championship at the Aviva Stadium yesterday. “He [Farrell] has got to give more game-time to Ross at the top, he’s got to give more game time to Jack at the top.
“Maybe that means with Jack, it’s 20-minute segments. I don’t know if Jack starts a Six Nations game, personally,” Heaslip remarked.
“Because fast-forward to a World Cup, do you start Jack? Let’s say Johnny is injured, who do you start? Do you start Jack straight away? Or do you start Ross, or Joey, or whoever the other person is? I don’t know if you start Jack yet, but you can definitely give him plenty of minutes.
I probably think it will be Ross or Johnny, all things equal, who will be starting games.
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Jamie Heaslip. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
As one of a large group of players that has been used in the number 10 jersey by the Ireland women’s team since Nora Stapleton announced her retirement from international rugby in the wake of the 2017 World Cup, Tyrrell is in an ideal position to understand what might be going through the minds of both Byrne and Crowley heading into the forthcoming spring window.
Before bringing down the curtain on her own international career to throw her lot in with the Dublin senior ladies footballers, Tyrrell featured at out-half for Ireland in the 2020 and 2021 editions of the Women’s Six Nations.
Despite acknowledging she’d like to see Crowley given an opportunity, the Clondalkin native added Byrne would be the more likely candidate for a starting berth if Sexton isn’t available.
“For me I’d love to see Jack Crowley start, but Ross Byrne has a little bit more experience and has that calm composure. He’s led an incredible Leinster side a lot when Johnny hasn’t been there. It wouldn’t surprise me if they go with Ross Byrne and then Jack Crowley off the bench to make an impact,” explained Tyrrell, who will be appearing on RTÉ in the coming weeks.
Hannah Tyrrell. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
“I think the reason this is generating such discussion is we’ve had the luxury of having world-class players like Johnny Sexton for so long, that we’re a little bit apprehensive of what life is like without him. That has happened in the women’s game. We had Nora Stapleton for so long and then we didn’t have a suitable replacement in time. The 10 role, you have to be given opportunities.
“Joey has had plenty of them. You do not become a good 10 overnight. You need playing time, you need minutes, you need to be able to build a relationship with your 9, with your forward pack and your back line. Some players grasp that much quicker and develop into that much quicker than others.
It’s about having that control and that calmness, to be able to do that amidst the chaos. I think Ross Byrne is perfect for that. I think he is the coolest guy I’ve ever seen on a rugby pitch. Nothing seems to phase him.
Fiona Hayes. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Due to being in and around the Munster base owing to her role as an assistant coach of the senior women’s team in the province, former Ireland prop Fiona Hayes, a pundit with Virgin this year, has been able to get a glimpse of what Jack Crowley is like as both a person and a player.
Even though he doesn’t possess the same sort of personality traits that have helped to make Sexton such a dominant force at out-half, she believes the Cork man remains a man with immense potential.
“I’ve seen Jack. I’ve been around and seen him down there. He’s not a very out-there, outgoing guy either. But it just seems like he has that natural ability to have that confidence when he’s on the pitch and he’s young,” Hayes said.
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'I think it will be Ross or Johnny, all things equal, who will be starting games'
HAVING RECOVERED FROM injury to reestablish himself as Ireland’s principle back-up to Johnny Sexton in the summer of 2021, Joey Carbery was yesterday omitted from Andy Farrell’s 37-man Ireland squad for this year’s Six Nations.
We won’t know who Farrell sees as the most likely candidate to replace Sexton — either during a game or in the starting lineup if doubts remain over his captain’s fitness — until the Ireland boss names his team to face Wales on 4 February.
All we know is that it will be a choice between Leinster’s Ross Byrne and Munster’s Jack Crowley, and RTÉ pundit Jamie Heaslip is in no doubt as to who he would pick between the pair next month.
“To build that pipeline, you’ve got to give game-time,” the former Leinster and Ireland back row said at the launch of RTÉ and Virgin Media’s coverage of the championship at the Aviva Stadium yesterday. “He [Farrell] has got to give more game-time to Ross at the top, he’s got to give more game time to Jack at the top.
“Maybe that means with Jack, it’s 20-minute segments. I don’t know if Jack starts a Six Nations game, personally,” Heaslip remarked.
“Because fast-forward to a World Cup, do you start Jack? Let’s say Johnny is injured, who do you start? Do you start Jack straight away? Or do you start Ross, or Joey, or whoever the other person is? I don’t know if you start Jack yet, but you can definitely give him plenty of minutes.
As one of a large group of players that has been used in the number 10 jersey by the Ireland women’s team since Nora Stapleton announced her retirement from international rugby in the wake of the 2017 World Cup, Tyrrell is in an ideal position to understand what might be going through the minds of both Byrne and Crowley heading into the forthcoming spring window.
Before bringing down the curtain on her own international career to throw her lot in with the Dublin senior ladies footballers, Tyrrell featured at out-half for Ireland in the 2020 and 2021 editions of the Women’s Six Nations.
Despite acknowledging she’d like to see Crowley given an opportunity, the Clondalkin native added Byrne would be the more likely candidate for a starting berth if Sexton isn’t available.
“For me I’d love to see Jack Crowley start, but Ross Byrne has a little bit more experience and has that calm composure. He’s led an incredible Leinster side a lot when Johnny hasn’t been there. It wouldn’t surprise me if they go with Ross Byrne and then Jack Crowley off the bench to make an impact,” explained Tyrrell, who will be appearing on RTÉ in the coming weeks.
“I think the reason this is generating such discussion is we’ve had the luxury of having world-class players like Johnny Sexton for so long, that we’re a little bit apprehensive of what life is like without him. That has happened in the women’s game. We had Nora Stapleton for so long and then we didn’t have a suitable replacement in time. The 10 role, you have to be given opportunities.
“Joey has had plenty of them. You do not become a good 10 overnight. You need playing time, you need minutes, you need to be able to build a relationship with your 9, with your forward pack and your back line. Some players grasp that much quicker and develop into that much quicker than others.
Due to being in and around the Munster base owing to her role as an assistant coach of the senior women’s team in the province, former Ireland prop Fiona Hayes, a pundit with Virgin this year, has been able to get a glimpse of what Jack Crowley is like as both a person and a player.
Even though he doesn’t possess the same sort of personality traits that have helped to make Sexton such a dominant force at out-half, she believes the Cork man remains a man with immense potential.
“I’ve seen Jack. I’ve been around and seen him down there. He’s not a very out-there, outgoing guy either. But it just seems like he has that natural ability to have that confidence when he’s on the pitch and he’s young,” Hayes said.
Originally published at 06.00
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