Jack Crowley will wear the Ireland number 10 jersey for just the second time when Andy Farrell’s team begin their World Cup preparations against Italy at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 8pm, live on RTÉ 2 and Premier Sports 2).
The 22-year-old’s sole start in three Irish appearances was as a late call-up from the bench in last November’s win over Australia before he helped steer Munster to their momentous URC title. Crowley will start alongside his 23-year-old provincial halfback partner Craig Casey, for whom this will be just a third start at scrumhalf after making eight of his previous 10 appearances off the bench.
Opportunity knocks for Jacob Stockdale, who last played for Ireland in the win over Japan in July 2021, Stuart McCloskey and the 35-year-old Keith Earls, who will be winning his 99th cap. They are joined by Robbie Henshaw in an experienced three-quarter line, with Jimmy O’Brien’s selection at fullback giving his mate Hugo Keenan a rare rest day as O’Brien is afforded a chance to underline his versatility.
Up front, the 22-year-old secondrow Joe McCarthy will partner captain Iain Henderson in making his first Test start, having won his only previous cap as a replacement in that aforementioned win over Australia last November.
Henshaw, Ryan Baird and Caelan Doris are the only survivors from the starting XV in the Grand Slam coronation against England in Ireland’s last outing on St Patrick’s Day. Baird shifts to blindside while, interestingly, Doris is named at openside for the first time in his 29 caps to date as Andy Farrell and his coaches explore alternative backup to Josh van der Flier.
There is also the likelihood of three players making their debuts off the bench in the Ulster hooker Tom Stewart, the Leinster utility back Ciaran Frawley and the Munster winger Calvin Nash.
Farrell could scarcely conceal his sense of anticipation when talking to the media on Thursday:
“I think we’re at a stage where we’re all gagging for a game and you are judging constantly how preparation’s going and trying to balance that out with a side that’s got the experience and youth that you’re able to put a side out at the weekend to judge properly.
“I’m 100 per cent sure there are some individuals that will take the field saying to themselves that this a big chance and big opportunity for me. You’ve got to surround those people with good enough experienced players as well to be able to judge them properly, so we’re looking forward to that.”
Ireland are seeking a 14th successive win over Italy, and an extension of their record home-winning run to 15, but Farrell stressed that the pressure is on this mix-and-match group to deliver strong performances, individually and collectively.
“It’s about the performance. I wouldn’t say we’re experimenting. You win World Cups because of the strength of your squad so we’re trying to find out if people that have done so well to get picked in the initial 42 and now they’ve got the opportunity to represent the group.
“They know the expectation of how we want to play and what’s acceptable and what’s not. They get to represent the group first up and we’ll see how they go.”
Farrell also gave a very positive update on Johnny Sexton following the captain’s recovery from the groin operation which was required in the wake of Ireland’s win over England.
“He’s not missed a session, he’s not dropped out of anything. He is back fully kicking etc. If there was a game two or three weeks ago, he was able to play, no doubt.
“Look, obviously he is disappointed not to be able to play in these games but it takes a day or two to get your head around it and to plan and keep pushing forward.”
As for Crowley, Farrell said: “He has been excellent, as you would imagine, and let’s be fair, if you were sat in a press conference for any nation at this moment in time, everyone is saying that preseason is going swimmingly well, but how that transfers into a performance is different.
“He has been going great. I have seen his confidence grow, obviously from what happened with Munster, being able to help navigate his team through those difficult periods at the end and get some success.”
With regard to Doris being tried at seven, where he played the first 20 minutes against Leicester in Leinster’s Champions Cup quarter-final last season, the Irish head coach said: “Like all players, they can only be themselves. And what we see in Caelan’s game, it doesn’t matter what position he plays, he’s able to adapt and be himself within that position.
“As far as roles in terms of a traditional seven, we will shape how Caelan plays the game to how we want to play as a team and he fits the bill very well in that regard.”
Farrell also did little to dissuade from the view that this is a hugely significant game for Stockdale.
“He’ll be a tremendous asset because he’s big, powerful and skilful, big left boot, was deadly for the try line etc and a few setbacks injury-wise and form-wise, he’s been working his way back through that.
“But I feel that he has come into camp six weeks ago wiping the slate clean for himself and just putting his ears back and just going for it.
“So, what we’ve seen as far as that’s concerned, transferring into training and training under pressure, has been great so far. Transferring that on to the game with the extra pressure of the build-up to the game, his own expectations, is something that we’ll look forward to seeing him deal with over the next few days.”
Ireland (v Italy): Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster); Keith Earls (Munster), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster); Jack Crowley (Munster), Craig Casey (Munster); Dave Kilcoyne (Munster), Rob Herring (Ulster), Tom O’Toole (Ulster), Iain Henderson (capt, Ulster), Joe McCarthy (Leinster), Ryan Baird (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster), Jack Conan (Leinster).
Replacements: Tom Stewart (Ulster)*, Cian Healy (Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Cian Prendergast (Connacht), Caolin Blade (Connacht), Ciaran Frawley (Leinster)*, Calvin Nash (Munster)*.
*denotes uncapped player
