Jack Crowley reveals stoic mental approach to enduring Ireland's fly half selection saga

Having been entwined within the heart of the fly half selection saga alongside Sam Prendergast, Crowley looks to be the go-to man for Andy Farrell for the time being. Whilst the out-half is excited for another crack at the helm of the back-line, the 26-year-old spoke rather candidly on how the only person he needs to impress is himself, as he plans to leave it all out on the pitch this Friday at the Aviva Stadium.

"I feel like it's not really about proving my points, or for anybody proving your point. It's more about just always continuing to find your best and how you can do that week to week, how you can do that from day to day in training. It's about where you can add to the team, so that there's 15 individuals out there bringing their best. When you do that, you get performances that come together, like [against] England.”

Despite still being in the relatively early stages of his international career, Crowley has his head screwed firmly onto his shoulders, as he does not cling to any prior expectations upon whats to come. Crowley added how he lives by a mantra of giving his all to what he can control, and not letting what is beyond his reach have an impact upon his mindset, as he weathers the storm to be Ireland's number 10.

"There's a place in the middle where you're just focused on the here and now." The fly half added. "If you focus on what's in your control, and you're truly giving your very best, when you look yourself in the mirror that evening or that night going to bed, that's it. For me, that's my focus.

"To continually do that, and where I end up, I end up. If I'm not giving my best and I can't look myself honestly in the mirror, well then I know I need to do the work and what will come, will come."

Crowley certainly comes across as an individual who lives for the here and now. Whether the fly half has shaped this mentality through practiced meditation, ice baths or spiritual teachings is not yet unearthed, yet there is no denying how the Munster man leaves the past behind him, and puts his best foot forward one day at a time. Crowley elaborated upon how he would not change anything about his journey, which has shaped him into the man we see today.

"The journey is one that you don't ever want to wish to change anything about. You are here right now, as you're meant to be, and everything along the way is what made you who you are right now. You can't change anything in the past - it's done. The future, you don't know what's coming, and all you can control is right here and right now.

"Bring your best right here, right now, and you look after the future. What you do now is what will determine what comes down the line. It's never really about focusing too much on the past or looking too far forward.

"I had a tough training today, I'm thinking about getting back down to the gym to do a gym session, so that's what's on my mind, just like I said, trying to stay as much in the now."

Cast your minds back a couple of weeks ago, and social media was a rife topic of conversation around the Ireland media sessions. Andy Farrell hit back at the online 'keyboard warriors' who criticised his players, whilst the ugly side of the internet saw racist comments emerge following Edwin Edogbo's Ireland debut.

Johnny Sexton spoke earlier in the campaign about how awful the comments were, and how he learned several methods of tuning out the armchair critics from his own playing days. Crowley echoed similar thoughts to that of his Ireland skills coach, in how you 'always have a choice' whether or not to engage with the 'haters' that are quick to judge his performance. Crowley keeps himself away from the screens, in what he calls a better quality of life.

"It is [easy] if you just put it away and don't engage with it. It's like anything, you have a choice and you can choose to not engage. You can choose to engage. It's just creating good habits, day to day, like with your nutrition or diet, or training performance. You make a choice and you commit to it.

"A lot of people now, we're talking about quality of life, and trying to spend time off the phone, when you're in training and trying to connect with one another. Staying off the phone is one way that you can… Play Monopoly, or whatever it might be. Because we're in camp in the evenings, you want to connect with one another, and that's one way as well. You always have a choice.”

Crowley continued to express how he has a unique perception of Johnny Sexton, having previously competed against the Ireland legend for the 10 jersey towards the tail end of his career. When asked whether the Leinster stalwart had changed much since his playing days, Crowley said;

"I suppose not much has changed in his game understanding and game knowledge. That's something that I will always be fascinated with, and always pick his brain on. To have that where he's not necessarily playing and performing in the game, he has more time, so that we can ask more questions and go through stuff together, all of us tens. It's brilliant to be able to have someone with his experience, understanding and game knowledge."

Speaking of the other fly halves whom Crowley trains alongside up in Dublin, there is once again no space in the match day squad for Sam Prendergast to take on Wales. Ciaran Frawley returns to the bench, with Harry Byrne still recovering from his concussion. Crowley expressed how he relishes the competition to be Ireland's leading man, as the out-halves all push each other to be the very best versions of themselves.

"There's Harry [Byrne], Frawls [Ciaran Frawley] and the four of us [including Sam Prendergast], we all like to push each other, that's what gets the best out of one another. Competition, as I've said before, is one that drives you to be your best, not just come game day, but day to day in training.

"We're always sitting down together looking at a laptop, because the knowledge from one another, we might have a different perspective on how we should run something. When you combine that with the coaches, you get the best of the best. That's what we're like in camp, we work unbelievably well together.

"We're all focused on getting the best out of ourselves for the team because if we're doing that, then the team are getting the best of one another."

However, one area that cannot always be practiced through a rehearsed playbook, is when Crowley comes face to face with a hostile crowd that threatens to get under his skin. Just two weeks ago, one of the most reliable fly halves in the world in George Ford, was left rattled by some uncharacteristic kicking errors that brought jeers from the Twickenham crowd. Crowley revealed how he tries to silence his surroundings, and focus inwardly on the breath when a crowd gets on his back.

"Yeah, it's a good question. I think pre-empting situations where you're going to be under pressure, whether it's in play or whether it's your individual technique. For us, who might be kickers, but for line-out throwers, it might be the pressure that they could be getting in a hostile environment.

"So, during the week, we just feel what it might be like to be under a little bit of pressure. Breath work for me, a lot of breath works bring it back to what's in your control. Having a good technique that needs to be robust under no matter what situation it is. It's preparation for the week as well, anticipating what might come."