Jack Crowley is one of several players who is benefiting from the Emerging Ireland tour in South Africa.
At 22-years-old, Jack Crowley is one of the most exciting prospects in Irish rugby. The Munster fly-half has showed flashes of his brilliance but is yet to get proper run of games starting for Munster.
With Ben Healy and Joey Carbery failing to impress so far this season, Crowley may be an option for Graham Rowntree once he returns to the province.
In the opening game of the Emerging Ireland tour, Ireland made light work of Griquas, with Crowley the standout player on the day.
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While the quality of the opposition wasn’t the highest, it was still an impressive performance from Crowley, especially when you consider how little time the squad has spent together in South Africa.
Crowley is aware of the work needed to succeed at the highest level. From working his way up from Cork Constitution, to the Irish U20s to Munster ‘A’ to the senior side, he’s all too aware of what’s needed.
As @lenihandonal says, Jack Crowley had no right to score that try. What a run. Follow all the action here #rterugby https://t.co/bimE1HRgUt pic.twitter.com/zffUNYhEHk
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) January 31, 2020
Speaking to Irish rugby yesterday, his experience with the Ireland U20s was a defining moment for him.
“It was probably the first time that I got properly tested as to serious opposition, the damage they can do to you if you slip up, the margin for error was really there.
You had to do things, you had to react quicker, you had to make decisions quicker, you’re skill level had to be a lot better.
That was the opening up for me that the recognition that I had to work on my game a lot. I had a lot of natural skills, but they can only take you so far.
That was the point when I went in at 20s, I realized I had a lot of work to do if I wanted to make something out of this career.”
A brilliant solo try in the U20 Six Nations get Scotland put Crowley on the map, making his debut for Munster nine months later off the replacement bench against Ulster.
In January 2022, he made his first European start for Munster away to Casters, a daunting place for anyone in Europe to go.
In a dream come true moment for Crowley, he put in a solid performance, scoring 11 points as Munster claimed a vital 16-11 victory.
The Emerging squad have their second game against the Pumas on Wednesday, with Crowley among the replacements. After an opening win against Griquas, Crowley is thankful for those around him on the pitch.
A standout performer in green on Friday, out-half Jack Crowley reflects on his rugby journey in our latest Player Feature from South Africa ⬇️#TeamOfUs | #EmergingIreland pic.twitter.com/8bT0Bsa6TD
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) October 3, 2022
“For me my job is pretty easy. You’ve got lads around you that each have such responsibility and such accountability to know their roles.
You can just fit into the system, without having to worry about what other fellas are doing, or what they might be doing wrong.
That’s a credit to both the staff for getting us to that level. Within seven days are making connections and playing together as if we are a team that’s been together for a couple of months.”
Looking ahead to the future, Crowley’s main ambition is to just improve on a game by game basis, rather than focus on things he can't control.
“For me, I was almost focusing too much on the future, and now I am taking it at a game at a time.
That’s been my focus from the start of the season. Whether it’s the pre-season game, just taking it one game at a time, reviewing that game and then seeing how I can get better in the next one.
It’s a tough game rugby is. If you focus too much on certain outcomes out of control, sometimes you can get carried away with that."
SEE ALSO: 5 Standout Players As Emerging Ireland Cruise To Opening Victory
