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One man's loss is another man's gain as Sam Prendergast's poor performance against France has gifted Jack Crowley a golden opportunity to make the Irish 10 jersey his own.
One man's loss is another man's gain as Sam Prendergast's poor performance against France has gifted Jack Crowley a golden opportunity to make the Irish 10 jersey his own.
Ireland head into the final day with an outside shot of regaining the title for a third successive but to do so they must put Italy to the sword.
Crowley, 25, has won 23 caps, scoring 125 points, but following his drop goal heroics in last year's victory in South Africa, he was superseded by trendy 21-year-old Leinster fly-half Prendergast.
The Munster man has had to bide his time, making useful cameos off the bench during this campaign, including a particularly influential impact in round one against England.
Now it's time for Crowley to take control of Ireland's backline, not just for himself but his club Munster, whose involvement in Ireland's squad wears thin due to its Leinster dominance.
His opposite number in Rome is no slouch though with Paolo Garbisi enjoying a strong tournament for the Azzuri, despite some blunders off the tee last weekend.
The 24-year-old Toulon playmaker has been the heart of everything good Italy have created, scoring a try against France with his kicks in behind troubling England's defence last weekend and allowing Ange Capuozzo to score a first half try.
In terms of retained kicks, Garbisi has notched an impressive eight across the campaign. How Ireland attempts to negate that threat will be fascinating.