‘I still think I should have got it’ – Munster’s Jack Crowley will still back himself despite drop goal miss

‘I still think I should have got it’ – Munster’s Jack Crowley will still back himself despite drop goal miss

The last weekend’s thrilling endgame at Thomond Park made it nearly impossible to remember that Munster needed a classic Tadhg Beirne turnover and a masterful Tom Ahern lineout steal to save their Champions Cup debut.

Munster barely managed to hold on as Bayonne applied further pressure,

going through 19 phases before Jack Crowley had a chance to win the match with the clock far into the red.

It wasn’t to be this time around as Crowley’s drop goal veered agonisingly wide.

Seven months prior, one precise, late kick of his right boot brought Munster into the URC final, downing Leinster.

Crowley’s left boot came off in the midst of the melee,

which could have caused his standing foot to go off balance as he hit the ball, but he isn’t using it as an excuse.

He clarified, “I approached it from a technical point of view.”

“I thought the ball drop was good.

I got right to the point about how we’re trained to maintain a 45-degree angle and swing through with your leg to hit the target.

“If you observe, I kick it squarely and precisely where my leg ends and where I come through.”

It speaks something about Crowley’s mentality that he wasn’t scared to take on the kick because,

as he is all too aware, even at this early point in his career,

an out-half must remain composed under pressure.

“I just thought at the time, and in retrospect,

you could probably take one or two more stages and continue playing for a little while longer. I guess I simply pushed myself to make it happen,” the 23-year-old said.

It’s not a very long kick.

The wind wasn’t really an issue, as it was in front of the posts. It involves all of these factors, and if it gets out of hand, the entire discussion changes.

That’s why I believe the technique was the key. Without a doubt, we could have continued playing and given it a shot,

but I made the choice at that very moment, and it clearly didn’t work out.

“But even though I think I’ll learn a lot from it moving forward,

I wish it had gone between the posts. I think it would have made it function better.

That tale would have been very different.

In Sunday’s match at Sandy Park against Exeter, if a similar circumstance occurs,

Crowley won’t hesitate to step up as Munster attempts to recover from the disappointing draw with Bayonne.

In order to guarantee that he wears the number “10” shirt against France on February 2,

Crowley is determined to take advantage of every opportunity with just a few games remaining before Andy Farrell chooses his Six Nations selection.

That is not to mean, though, that Crowley is losing focus on what ought to be a monumental Six Nations for him personally now that Johnny Sexton is no longer involved.

“It’s not possible, it’s really not,” Crowley argued.

“It involves taking time.” I believe it began even when you were attempting to join this squad.

There’s always that thought process.

“You may like to join the Munster team and other things and be playing with (Cork) Con.

You can easily compartmentalise it, put it in a box, and say things like,

“Yeah, it’s good to have that ambition that you want to be there,

” but if I had been, I couldn’t have performed in Con.

Naturally, everyone wishes to attend.

Although I’m sure there are people all around the nation who aspire to play for Ireland,

the harsh truth is that you have to be good.

Additionally, you must be putting forth regular effort.

That is what I am after, and as I previously stated,

the guys surrounding me should come first if I am performing here so they can benefit from it and look good.

“The rest will come together if I can master it.

However, if I even for a split second consider something other than that,

I won’t be assigning the boys in this room the accountability and due respect for the jersey that represents the “10.”

Talked like a man intent on helping Munster get back on track before turning his attention to the Six Nations later on.

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