Andy Farrell will have breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he heard the latest update on Ciarán Frawley yesterday.
The sight of the Leinster outhalf limping off the Sportsground turf on Saturday would have been positively alarming for the Ireland head coach.
The Autumn Nations Series opener against the All Blacks on November 8 is looming large, and Farrell is already dealing with something of an injury crisis at hooker. The last thing he needs is a frontline out-half going to ground a few weeks out from that seismic Test in Dublin.
BKT United Rugby Championship, Dexcom Stadium, Galway 19/10/2024 Connacht vs Leinster Leinster’s Ciarán Frawley leaves the field with an injury. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
There were widespread fears that Frawley, who has suffered no shortage of injury setbacks, may have done some serious damage to his ankle in the early stages of that comfortable win over Connacht.
He didn’t look too happy leaving the action after just 16 minutes. Yesterday’s medical bulletin from Leinster was short on detail but it simply stated that Frawley had rolled his ankle. Indeed, he hasn’t been ruled out of Saturday’s URC meeting with the Lions just yet.
No breaks, no fractures, no scans. Farrell will take that. He desperately needs Frawley fit and firing next month.
Munster’s Jack Crowley with a BKT United Rugby Championship Player of the Match medal. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady
In a short space of time, the 26-year-old has become a key figure in this Irish set-up. After years of filling a utility role in this squad, Frawley has settled on out-half as his favoured position and he has thrived, backing up that impressive cameo on South African soil with a strong start to the season as first-choice No10 with a Leinster team who are blazing a trail through the early rounds of the URC.
His stock rose exponentially in Durban in the summer when his brace of clutch drop goals secured a last-gasp win against the Springboks in the second Test.
The Skerries man made a massive impact on the game when he was sprung from the bench.
24 November 2012; Ireland’s Ronan O’Gara, left, and Jonathan Sexton leave the pitch after the match. Autumn International, Ireland v Argentina, Aviva Stadium, Lansdowne Road, Dublin. Pic: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE
Jack Crowley remains the main man at out-half, but Frawley has offered the perfect foil. Fitness permitting, this dynamic is set to continue.
Nothing beats a bit of healthy competition. It drives up performances on the pitch and standards off it.
Think back to all the great outhalf rivalries. Ollie Campbell and Tony Ward brought the best out of each other. Ronan O’Gara and David Humphreys sparred for the starting spot for years. Then the Corkman had to deal with a spiky customer named Johnny Sexton.
Even Sexton, who dominated this position and lorded it in the starting line-up for effectively a decade, was fuelled by a host of young, ambitious out-halves nipping at his heels.
Whether it was Ian Madigan, Paddy Jackson, Joey Carbery or Jack Carty and Crowley, Sexton never got too comfortable in the hot seat. Now, the former Ireland captain wasn’t exactly short on drive himself but the young pretenders eyeing up his spot didn’t do Sexton any harm.
Farrell will be hoping for a similar situation in the coming years. Crowley has surged ahead as his first-choice option since Sexton retired after last year’s World Cup.
The Munster out-half has stepped up impressively. He played every minute of the Six Nations title-winning campaign last year, as well as both games against the Springboks in July.
The Corkman is only 24 and has just 16 international caps, but he has already provided a reassuring presence.
Crowley’s had a bit of a dip in form, however. No surprise, given Munster’s struggles this season. Getting back into the Ireland environment and having a higher calibre of player around him should give him a boost in the coming weeks.
Having Frawley nearby should light a few fires, too, while Sam Prendergast is also likely to be in the mix.
Leinster’s fledgling out-half has been making a name for himself for quite a while, and you get the distinct feeling that Farrell and the rest of the Ireland management are keen to fast-track the 21-year-old into this Ireland operation. A maiden Ireland cap isn’t far away.
Prendergast started all three games on the recent Emerging Ireland tour, and he looks primed to start his first club game of the season on Saturday, with unbeaten Leinster welcoming the Lions to the capital. Farrell is set to confirm his Ireland training squad tomorrow and Crowley, Frawley and Prendergast are all poised to be involved.
All three were taken to South Africa, and this pecking order is set to continue throughout November.
As things stand, Crowley remains first choice but he will be feeling the heat from Frawley, who is growing in confidence. Prendergast will continue in his apprentice role.
Farrell will hope that Prendergast begins to force the issue sooner rather than later.
We’ve become accustomed to two steely characters battling it out to be Ireland’s premier outhalf down the years. But three quality No10s vying for the same spot would be uncharted territory. This scenario is very much part of Farrell’s masterplan, which can drive Ireland to new heights at the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
Farrell has been to the past two editions of the global showpiece with Ireland – as assistant and as head coach – and he saw an Irish team that leaned heavily on one big personality at No10.
Farrell was a huge admirer of Sexton, but the national team became too reliant on him at World Cups. The Pumas mauling in 2015 and the shock defeat in Shizuoka four years later were both days when Sexton was missing in action. And Ireland paid the price.
This time around, Farrell will feel that he can reverse that trend. Behind every great team that wins a World Cup is even greater depth. Think of the great All Blacks sides.
Dan Carter was a generational talent, yes, but the class of 2015 knew they had young Beauden Barrett, who could step up.
The Wallabies had Stephen Larkham but Elton Flatley and then Matt Giteau weren’t bad alternatives.
England had Owen Farrell and George Ford in the frame for years, and now Marcus Smith is on the scene.
A lack of depth has cost Ireland at previous tournaments. Farrell is busily making plans to ensure that is not the case in Oz in 2027.
He will welcome this selection headache in the coming years.
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