It’s at a time of crisis like this you’d miss the calm head and steady hand of Edmund Van Esbeck. Instead we have to make so with Scruff Thornley.
noted, he seemed to play a bit in the centre as well as out-half
Thats very valid point and perhaps gets to the centre of him being underdone for this level just yet
Hes actually not that fast over distance. Can break the line with quick feet and initial acceleration but gets rundown a fair bit.
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Fact he no central contract offered and way hes been mistreated at national level, youd have to think the head is rightly turned by that offer.
Best of luck to him if he goes. Tbh the IRFU might struggle to keep the eligibility rule if he does given Ross Byrne and Harry Byrne are gone (latter not confirmed yet). We’d be bare bones at 10.
How many have gone abroad and been a success? Donnacha Ryan one of the very, very few. Crowley would be well advised to look at the plight of Ben Healy, ignore the big contract and tip along in Ireland for the next 15 years. That’s if there is any truth to the rumours at all.
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See JJ Hanrahan
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I don’t think there is a decent enough sample size since the rule was brought in to really say. Well at the calibre of Crowley anyway. Healy wasn’t at his level in Irish terms.
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Leo Cullen
Shane Jennings
Eoin reddan
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Tadhg Beirne and Tommy Bowe.
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Geordan Murphy
Tommy Bowe
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Geordan Murphy??
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Trevor Brennan
Keith wood
Ultan Dillane and Joey Carberry.
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I don’t think most of them are comparable.
Top line internationals (or hyped younger players) leaving in the IRFU central contract / provincial era really are a handful. Wood and Murphy don’t count.
Going back 20 years with Leo Cullen for an example is a good indicator. Fly-half’s alone who have gone abroad since include Sexton, Madigan, Hanrahan, McGinty, Healy, Jackson - a lot to be said for the pensionable job with the IRFU.
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AJ was not going professional in Ireland. He made himself in the U.S…
Jackson is not comparable.
Sexton had it sorted before he left that he was going to continue to be picked.
Madigan a good example as he didn’t want to go to another province when he did leave and he was a Schmidt favourite. Hanrahan too.
Crowley would be mad to go now after Prendergast playing his way off the Ireland team over the course of the championship. He surely has to back himself to take that spot back.