Crowley Relishes Prospect Of Playing In Front Of Home Cork Crowd

So fierce is the competition for places within the extended Ireland Under-20 squad, Jack Crowley is not prepared to take selection for granted just yet, but the Cork Constitution out-half has done all he can to make Noel McNamara‘s final panel.

The 19-year-old, who recently won the Energia AIL Try of the Month award for December, was the standout performer as Ireland Under-20s defeated Munster Development in the annual challenge match over Christmas.

Crowley impressed the Irish Independent Park crowd with an assured and authoritative display in the pivot position, demonstrating his excellent playmaking ability and leadership qualities, while scoring 13 points off the tee.

The Bandon native, who has featured for Munster ‘A’ this season, has emerged as a key player for McNamara’s side as they advance towards the 2020 Under-20 Six Nations campaign, and Crowley hopes to be in the mix when the final squad is announced on Monday, January 20.

“There are still places up for grabs so everyone really performed well against Munster and overall it was a positive performance to take into these two camps,” Crowley told IrishRugby.ie.

“Competition lasts, you could go through 30/40 players through a Six Nations and Under-20 World Championship so competition is always a good thing. It keeps you on your toes and without competition, you wouldn’t be able to perform week in, week out.

“There are other lads that are biting at the back of your tail so you’ve got to stay on top of your performance. It pushes everybody.”

Having played schools and club rugby at Irish Independent Park in the past, Crowley would relish the opportunity to run out in front of a home crowd when Ireland begin their Championship against Scotland at the Cork venue on Friday, January 31 (kick-off 7.15pm, and tickets are available to buy here).

“I went to the matches last year and the atmosphere down there was amazing,” he adds, before taking a step back. “Ìt would be nice but I must get selected first and take it from there, so we won’t be jumping to any conclusions.

“But, yeah, it’s an unbelievable atmosphere down there so hopefully it’ll be another good campaign this year.”