Ireland head into their crunch Six Nations game away to France on Friday, with four changes from the side that lost to New Zealand in the World Cup quarter-final.
In the case of Robbie Henshaw and Calvin Nash, their selections are due to injuries sustained by Garry Ringrose and Mack Hansen, but for Jack Crowley he has the pressure of taking over from the recently retired Johnny Sexton.
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Crowley has been excellent at times for Munster over the past year - notably in last year's URC final and in their recent win over Toulon - but Stephen Ferris has questioned his game management, which he feels has been inadequate in the close matches that Munster have failed to close out this season.
Yeah, I think that's the interesting one for me ... is a 6/2 split. I think the last time Ireland went away in the Six Nations to France they sort of did get beaten up a little bit upfront.
I think big Atonio had a field day. I remember a couple of really quick counter rucks and before they knew it, they were under their own sticks, having a conversation.
It's a huge game for Jack Crowley. I think it was Joey Carbery who started two years ago and he's disappeared into the wilderness.
So it's a huge game for him, and his game management hasn't been brilliant for Munster and that's probably shown in some of the results that they've had.
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29 January 2024; Jack Crowley during an Ireland Rugby squad training session at The Campus in Quinta da Lago, Portugal. Photo by Ella Howell/Sportsfile
"The centre partnership of Aki and Henshaw. Henshaw wearing the 13 jersey, he hasn't played a huge amount of rugby over the last couple of seasons, just been in and out with injuries," added Ferris, who was speaking exclusively with Balls.ie, in association with Ladbrokes.
"So it's going to be a huge test for him probably against Gael Fickou, who we know is probably France's most consistent player.
"Hugo Keenan full back, the sort of the main guy in that axis between low and Calvin Nash, it's a huge game for Calvin Nash. So, you know, Keenan is going to have to be really cemented in his place to help him out on it on the day."
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