O’Gara brutally pinpoints reason why Jack Crowley hasn’t nailed down Ireland spot

Sam Prendergast has been favoured for Six Nations opener

With Harry Byrne also in the mix, there has been heightened discussion around the position in recent months.

With mixed displays for Munster, Crowley will start on the bench in Paris, and speaking on The Rugby Pod, O'Gara looked to pinpoint why the 26-year-old has not been favoured.

"Jack Crowley in that game (victory over France in 2024), it was like: 'We have our guy'.

"Because he's from Munster and Cork, I like him and I tried to sign him. You're like: 'Come on Jack, I need more, I need you to close this out.'

"Jack has it all, but he can't put it together on the day that matters. What is that?"

"You look at Jack in Toulon, his goal-kicking in a hostile environment was beautiful. Then he goes home against Castres. There's mis-hits and there's mis-hits, but one of them went about 30 metres wide of the target. That's a big malfunction.

"I think he's a guy who will absolutely be different when he gets his confidence. It's way harder to do what Jack is trying to do in the Test arena. How does he build up his confidence? It's from club games.

"But in the club games it isn't happening for him. He's probably trying a bit harder, he's pushing it, he's forcing it, and he's making errors that may potentially cost him starting a Six Nations."

Ireland 23 to face France:

15. Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)(10)
14. Tommy O’Brien (Blackrock College/Leinster)(6)
13. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)(69)
12. Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster)(23)
11. Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster)(40)
10. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(13)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(46)

1. Jeremy Loughman (Garryowen/Munster)(5)
2. Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(35)
3. Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College/Leinster)(10)
4. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(19)
5. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(65)
6. Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht)(8)
7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(75)
8. Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)(55)(captain)

Replacements:

16. Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(43)
17. Michael Milne (UCD/Munster)(2)
18. Finlay Bealham (Corinthians/Connacht)(54)
19. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster)(76)
20. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(55)
21. Nick Timoney (Queen’s University/Ulster)(6)
22. Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)(24)
23. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(30).