Ireland’s response to yet more World Cup heartache was the biggest point of intrigue heading into the Six Nations, but in terms of individuals, Jack Crowley faced more pressure than anyone.
Thrust into the fly-half role following Sexton’s retirement, Crowley was tasked with becoming the new talisman in the Ireland attack.
He had played just three minutes in Ireland’s Grand Slam campaign last year, and while he starred in Munster’s United Rugby Championship win last year, this tournament had the potential to make or break his Test career.
In the end, Crowley played every minute of Ireland’s campaign. He impressed under the lights in Marseille, and while he struggled against a ravenous England side at Twickenham, his performances overall suggest that the number 10 jersey does not weight too heavily on the 24-year-old’s back.
“You know what, I’ve been hard on him. We have,” Farrell revealed.
“It’s easy to read the press with you guys and get carried away. But we’ve kept his feet on the ground. And Joe McCarthy as well because there has to be a realisation that that is not it.
“That’s not what we’re chasing, we’re chasing something better than that and as long as we can continue to do that, we’ll continue to grow as a group.”
While Crowley has attracted much attention in recent weeks, second row McCarthy stole the headlines against France with a hugely impressive performance while Calvin Nash has ably deputised for the injured Mack Hansen on the right wing.
