Ireland rugby talking points: Casting Jack Crowley aside clearly backfired

What was supposed to be Super Saturday for Irish rugby is likely to be more of a damp squib as their Six Nations campaign concludes with the trip to the Stadio Olimpico to face struggling Italy in the early kick-off.

This fixture was expected to be a Grand Slam coronation, but there will be no white smoke in Rome this weekend after Simon Easterby’s side were completely dismantled by France in Dublin last weekend.

Irish Hubris:

Ireland went into last weekend’s game against France with a 100% record and a Triple Crown in the bank, so it is perhaps unsurprising that they may have been overconfident, despite it being obvious to many that there were gaping holes in this Irish side.

Jamie Osborne is a good centre and a decent full-back, but to expect him to perform on the wing against Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey was foolhardy, while the failure to identify that outhalf Sam Prendergast is nowhere near this level, at least yet, was hubris in extremis.

Promoting Prendergast as the new number 10 at 21 – he has recently turned 22 – was a move that has seriously blown up in the faces of the Irish management. 

It was completely unfair to ask such a young player to step up to this level when he was not ready and this is entirely on them.

Unfortunately, Prendergast has shown weaknesses in his game in this championship, such as lack of running ability and his inability to tackle, that may be difficult to iron out. 

Any fly-half can have a poor game, but to not actually be physically able to perform the role at the required level is an entirely different matter.

Leinster in green:

It is an unwritten policy, but an understood one, despite denials all round. Ireland threw all of their eggs into the Leinster basket many moons ago.

A couple years ago Leinster played some of the most exciting attacking rugby in Europe, but the failure to get over the line in big Champions Cup ties saw them completely change their approach, by appointing former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber and adopting a more South African style of play.

Given that Ireland is now essentially Leinster, Ireland switched with them, with the result being that Ireland are passing less, running less, carrying less and offloading less.

They should have enough about them to open up an Italian side who have shipped 120 points in their last two games against France and England, but questions need to be asked as to whether Ireland are going in the right direction in terms of their style of play.

Slim chances:

Ireland can still mathematically win the title but they would require two huge upsets for this to transpire. One is possible, but two is approaching impossible territory.

Ireland will get the bonus point win they need to top the table in the early afternoon, but we can expect England first, and then France, to both leapfrog them, and consign them to third place.