The rise of Jack Crowley

Jack Crowley – we all know him as Ireland’s number 10, as a Munster leader and as one of rugby’s next generation of stars. Rugby has long been on the rise in West Cork, with Crowley the leading light among a number of brilliant players like Gavin Coombes, John Hodnett and Abbie Salter-Townshend, while the region's youth teams and schools continue to win. In a golden era of West Cork sport, rugby – Crowley included – looks set to dominate headlines for years to come. The young man from Innishannon seems to have the rugby world at his feet, but it’s been a long journey to get here. Bandon RFC, Cork Constitution and even Valley Rovers GAA club can lay claim to helping Crowley get to where he is today, but one West Cork school had as big an influence as any. Ahead of Ireland's upcoming series against South Africa, The Southern Star travelled to Bandon Grammar School, where Crowley was a student, to find out more about the making of the player we see today. 'Jack was an interesting character in that it wasn't necessarily his physicality or speed or athleticism that set him apart,' recalled Phillip Murphy, Crowley's former coach at Bandon Grammar. 'It was his mentality from the off even as a first or second year – how inquisitive he was, how serious he was about everything. That's definitely what set him apart.' Régis Sonnes, the former Toulouse coach, guided Bandon Grammar School to the Munster Schools’ Senior Cup semi-final for the first-time ever in 2017 – and on that team was Innishannon’s Jack Crowley. ‘Jack is a very good player,’ Sonnes says. ‘He was a special guy in the school, he was the captain and he was very important to how we played. ‘The best part about Jack is his mentality, he is very strong in his mind, he knows what he wants and he is developing very well. The process in Munster and Ireland is very good, and he can get his chance there.’ Ireland worried for a long time about finding a replacement to Johnny Sexton, and Crowley was one in a long line of potential candidates. His performances at the World Cup, in the Six Nations and for Munster have shown he's more than ready to become Ireland's next great fly half. The series against South Africa is yet another opportunity and one that Crowley's upbringing in West Cork has prepared him to grab with both hands. Ireland face South Africa at 4pm on Saturday, July 6th, live on Sky Sports. *** Produced by Kieran McCarthy, Seán Holland, Tony O'Shaughnessy and Dylan Mangan. Interview: Seán Holland. Video: Tony O'Shaughnessy Written, edited and presented by Dylan Mangan. With thanks to Bandon Grammar School. Additional video: Ireland Rugby, Munster Rugby. Additional photos: INPHO, Sportsfile. Subscribe to The Southern Star's digital edition for less than €2 per week via https://subscribe.southernstar.ie/plans