JACK Crowley has been linked with a sensational switch to the Leicester Tigers.
The Innishannon man’s contract with Munster runs out this summer, and it has been reported in the English media this week that Premiership side Leicester have offered Crowley a £600,000 per year deal to swap Thomond Park for Welford Road.
With Handre Pollard leaving the Tigers at the end of the season, they are on the look out for a new No. 10 and have reportedly identified Crowley as the player they want. One English outlet, Mail Sport, added that ‘representatives from the Tigers have held talks in Dublin with Munster’s playmaker.’
This could leave the Bandon RFC star with a big decision to make: does he stick or twist? If Crowley makes the move to Leicester, he would be ineligible to line out for Ireland and continue his battle for the No. 10 jersey with Sam Prendergast who has been favoured over the West Cork man in all four Six Nations games this season, including the crushing home loss to France last weekend.
News of Leicester’s interest will, of course, be noted in the IRFU corridors of power, and it will be interesting to watch their next move: do they offer Crowley a central contract? As it stands, of the 14 Irish players on central contracts for next season, 11 are from Leinster, with Munster’s Tadhg Beirne and Connacht duo Mack Hansen and Bundee Aki the only non-Leinster players on central contracts.
Crowley’s immediate focus will be on this weekend’s final Six Nations game away to Italy, as he targets a first start in this year’s competition. With Prendergast struggling against France, perhaps the door has opened to give Crowley the start he deserves?
‘I think Jack has been very effective when he comes in; he did very well against England, and has had cameo roles since then,’ Irish rugby legend Brian O’Driscoll said on Off The Ball this week.
‘Jack has earned the chance to start, to say “listen, maybe I shouldn’t be the forgotten man, I’m still to be reckoned with”, and also to keep squad happiness to a degree and that guys are getting a proper crack at it.’
