It was very much a sense of 'opportunity missed' for Joey Carbery against Fiji this afternoon.
Given a rare chance to start for Ireland, he would have hoped to put in a big performance and cement his place as the second choice out-half behind Johnny Sexton under Andy Farrell.
It didn't work out that. While he was unfortunate to be withdrawn just after halftime due to injury, it is fair to say that he didn't exactly impress during the time he spent on the pitch.
The Irish attack looked clunky, with the Munster man failing to dictate the pace of play. When it came to breaking the line, his passes were often mistimed or ill-judged.
In all, it was not the showing he would have been hoping for.
Heaslip & Horgan question Joey Carbery's status as Sexton backup
In contrast, Jack Crowley looked very good after his introduction in the position. He was admittedly playing against 14 men, but his attacking play was far more incisive and he certainly made his case for selection moving forward.
While on commentary duties with Amazon Prime, both Jamie Heaslip and Shane Horgan questioned Joey Carbery's position as the backup to Johnny Sexton due to persistent underwhelming performances.
Heaslip: I think when Carbery looks back at his game over the first 45 minutes, he probably shipped on a lot of passes as opposed to attacking the line. He's so good at attacking the line and has such good footwork. Crowley take the ball and attacks the line...
Horgan: The area of backup 'ten' to Sexton is very unsettled. Carbery has played very little rugby for Ireland, he has played very few minutes for Ireland and delivered few high quality performances when he has over the last couple of years.
Heaslip: When you think of the teams he has started against for Ireland, they haven't been top tier. When he has been given his chance those two times, against Australia in 2018 and France this year in the Six Nations, they haven't won.
He's got to step up, because there are other bubbling up that will take the opportunity once given it. You've got someone out there in Jack Crowley who is looking for that opportunity.
With a year to go until the World Cup, the discussion surrounding this issue is unlikely to go away anytime soon.
Joey Carbery is a hugely talented player, but there is no doubt that his injury issues have stunted his development. As Horgan and Heaslip mention above, he has also often failed to impress in the green jersey.
With a number of alternative options emerging behind him, it will be interest to see how things play out ahead of the tournament in France.
SEE ALSO: Fiji Legend Hammers Team For First Half Performance Against Ireland
