Ireland coach Andy Farrell has changed his halfback pairing for Saturday’s Six Nations match against England at Twickenham.
Jack Crowley will start at flyhalf, with Sam Prendergast, who started both their opening matches at No 10, omitted from the match 23.
Crowley will be partnered by Jamison Gibson-Park, who returns at scrumhalf at the expense of Craig Casey, who drops to the bench.
Crowley gets his chance after coach Andy Farrell praised his performance, when he came on for Prendergast last Saturday, and inspired a turnaround, steering the Irish to a hard-fought 20-13 win over Italy.
Farrell had laid into “keyboard warriors” over their comments attacking Prendergast, but after two bruising experiences in the 36-14 hammering by France and the Italy game, the Englishman has given him a break.
Prendergast, 23, misses out on a bench spot as Farrell preferred to call up Ciaran Frawley, who can play in a variety of positions in the backs, while wing Tommy O’Brien is recalled after being omitted from the Italy game.
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“Jack Crowley starts because of what we’ve seen and how he’s come through and performed,” said Farrell, who added the Munster 10 has been “playing confidently”.
Farrell would not be drawn on whether he had left out Prendergast because he was drained of confidence.
“Well, Sam’s a fantastic international player,” said the 50-year-old Englishman. “He’s on a journey that’s obviously learning, like all of us. That will never stop. It’s the same for Ciaran Frawley.
“We’ve talked all along about the four lads [Prendergast, Crowley, Frawley and Harry Byrne] competing against one another, and the balance is right for this team this weekend.”
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Farrell has also brought 2022 World Rugby Player of the Year Josh van der Flier, who sat out the Italy Test, and Tadhg Beirne, who was a replacement, back into the starting loose trio, to partner captain Caelan Doris.
Aside from Prendergast’s travails at flyhalf the other alarming issue for the Irish, both against France and Italy, was their scrum.
Farrell has tried to remedy this by naming veteran prop Tadhg Furlong in the starting lineup, though, the British & Irish Lion star had a tough time when he came on as a replacement against the Italians.
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The Irish meet an English side bidding to bounce back after their hopes of a Grand Slam showdown with France at the end of the tournament were dashed by Scotland last Saturday.
Their recent encounters have been tight affairs.
England ended Ireland’s hopes of successive Grand Slams in 2024 with a 23-22 win, though the Irish were crowned champions, while Ireland beat the English 27-22 last year in Dublin.
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IRELAND – 15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Robert Baloucoune, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 James Lowe, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Caelan Doris (c), 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 James Ryan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Jeremy Loughman.
Bench: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Tom O’Toole, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Nick Timoney, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Craig Casey, 22 Ciaran Frawley, 23 Tommy O’Brien.
– AFP
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
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