Jack Crowley can step up to fill Johnny Sexton's boots says Ireland coach

"Jack’s always had that confidence," said Ireland defence guru Simon Easterby. "That’s not just now, it was what he was like when he first came in."

Jack Crowley has been backed to fill the void left by Johnny Sexton's absence - along with his rival no 10s in Ireland camp.

With Sexton now retired, Crowley is in pole position to start at out-half against France in Friday's Six Nations opener in Marseille.

If Ross Byrne wasn't on the casualty list then he would have a fight on his hands, but that's not the case. The jersey is Crowley's for now.

READ MORE:Simon Zebo's Ireland omission explained as France match now in squad's sights

"Jack’s always had that confidence," said Ireland defence coach Simon Easterby. "That’s not just now, it was what he was like when he first came in."

Easterby was at the helm of the Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa in the autumn of 2022 and recalls now how the management team were won over by the Munster man.

"He impressed us with the way he handles himself, the way he demands high standards, and not just of others but of himself and that’s the mark of a young man that’s driving to be really successful," said Easterby, who confirmed the whole squad, including skipper Peter O'Mahony, trained yesterday.

“He will have learned a huge amount from his time with Johnny, as would all of our 10s, Harry (Byrne), Frawls (Ciarán Frawley) and Sam coming in as well.

"So I think we’ve got a really good blend of players in that position at the moment - players who are hungry to take the baton on and Jack’s certainly one of those.

"The other guys will be pushing each other to try and force our hand in selection but I think it’s a really nice group at the moment because there’s a bit of a void to fill, I guess but that’s what losing a player like Johnny leaves.

"All four of them, Sam included, are really working hard to fill that and try and emulate and better what we’ve done before.”

Asked to provide the major bullet points from the Ireland management's internal World Cup review with the players this week, Easterby initially said that Ireland didn't fire enough shots against New Zealand in the quarter-final.

When later quizzed on that further, he gave a more considered reply.

“I wouldn’t say firing shots, maybe that wasn’t the right term, it's more that we looked at it this week with Faz and Catts (Mike Catt), and we had opportunities to go and punish New Zealand more and we didn’t do that,” said Easterby.

“Certainly we scored points, no doubt. I just think we were a little bit too easy to score against. All three tries came from less than three or four phases.

"In terms of the other side the ball in attack, there were just a couple of opportunities that we feel if we’d have been in a slightly better position, worked a little bit harder to get into position, we would have taken those opportunities to score.

"That was what I was trying to get at, not firing shots. We did that, and we went after New Zealand. We went 13-0 down and we came back, kept going after them but just let them get ahead again and that was the difference.

"There will always be opportunities that you feel like that we missed out on and that's what we reflected on this week. I wouldn't say we didn't fire any shots.”

The former Ireland back row star can't wait for the next chapter to get started.

“It will be hostile, a brilliant atmosphere, I’m sure, under the lights on a Friday night," Easterby said.

“There are not many better places we’d wish to be on the opening weekend of the Six Nations.

"It’s up to us to make sure we prepare the players in the right way that they can hit the ground running and really attack the game.”

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