Donal Lenihan: Jack Crowley-Sam Prendergast contest for ten jersey helps us all sleep a little easier

It’s a measure of where Irish rugby finds itself on the world stage now that an Irish scalp has become a prized possession. When setting out on their three test series against Italy, Ireland and France, the tourists set themselves one goal, beating Ireland in Ireland for the first time after ten successive defeats.

In the end they came within a whisker. They will look back on a crazy opening six minutes when conceding two tries against a ruthless Irish attack on the back of losing the highly experienced Matias Moroni to a yellow card in the second minute for a clumsy tackle on Jack Crowley.

When you consider Ireland would only register 10 more points over the remaining 77 minutes of fraught action, that calamitous opening phase proved the visitors' undoing. Given the circumstances, why then was I harbouring a slight air of contentment?

For that you’d have to go back seven days to the same arena when, under the cosh against a revamped New Zealand side an Irish bench, carrying a colossal 498 caps between them, failed to make the desired impact required to either close out or retrieve test matches.

Friday night's match proved the definitive game of two halves. While Ireland bossed the opening 40 minutes, Contepomi’s men took total control of the third quarter, reducing a 13 point deficit at the break to a manageable three points within 11 minutes of the restart.

It was around this time that Andy Farrell looked to his bench, promoting a debutant tight head prop in Thomas Clarkson in a first step towards stemming the tide. Within 10 minutes, Farrell parachuted another debutant in Sam Prendergast and a three-cap rookie in Jamie Osborne, to help Ireland close out the game.

The fact that all three made such an impact that Argentina were held scoreless throughout the final quarter proved both informative and satisfying. To succeed on a consistent basis at this level requires both quality and depth in all positions but especially at out half.

You’ll win nothing without a controlling figure at No 10. Think back to the teams that have won World Cups and the class on show at out half; Grant Fox, Michael Lynagh, Joel Stransky, Stephen Larkham, Jonny Wilkinson, Dan Carter, Handre Pollard. Need I say more.

To be consistently influential as a top class international out half requires a strong temperament. The first time I sat down with Jack Crowley, my immediate impression was he had that priceless quality. It was one thing to be the star player for Brandon Grammar in a Munster schools campaign but he was about to step out of his comfort zone and enter the world of adult rugby.

Having seen him perform at schools level, it was clear he had a lot of ability. My task was to convince him that, with an excellent coaching ticket including a former Munster No 10 in Johnny Holland at Cork Constitution, we could provide him with the platform, the tools and the environment to maximise his ability.

What struck me immediately was his ambition. Not only was he confident in his ability to step up to the demands of playing in Division 1A of the AIL, he was clearly targeting a place on the Ireland U20 side. It came as no surprise to me that within a matter of months he achieved both.

Stepping into the boots of an all-time great in Johnny Sexton is no easy task but the manner with which Crowley has done so has been quite remarkable. Not only has he started all nine tests since Sexton retired after the World Cup defeat to New Zealand but had played every minute in a winning Six Nations campaign before Farrell called him ashore for the first time entering the final quarter in the second test against South Africa last July.

He has taken to international rugby like a duck to water but inevitably, even the best, have to navigate their way through difficult periods at some stage. For Crowley his coincided with a dip in form for a Munster team going through such a period of flux it cost the head coach his job. Crowley came in for criticism from some quarters for his performance against New Zealand which was a bit over the top. The focus on Ciaran Frawley was understandable given his heroic deeds once replacing Crowley against South Africa that day in Durban.

Unfortunately, things could not have gone much worse for the Leinster man when introduced against the All Blacks. That prompted the elevation of Prendergast, another hugely gifted young man, to the bench last Friday night.

Prendergast is massively talented and, like Crowley, was a hugely influential figure for Ireland U20 level. The clamour for his elevation to the international stage has been growing, despite only eight starts and 20 appearances for Leinster.

With that background, the pressure on Crowley heading into the Argentina game was significant. The recipient of that heavy challenge from Moroni after only two minutes, in the circumstances, it might have rattled a lesser man. Not Crowley. Once again he proved he has both physical and mental attributes to cope.

Within the first quarter alone he registered a try, conversion and drop goal for a 12-point haul and would have achieved a full house had Ireland chose not to go to touch from a number of kickable penalties.

Throw in a classy midfield break, the excellence of his kicking and decision-making and Crowley was an early contender for player of the match. However, one poor pass and a kick that went directly to touch signalled the call to arms of Prendergast.

The first thing you notice about Prendergast is, he appears to glide. He is calmness personified. The way he takes the ball to the line. The way he delays and disguises the pass until the last second. The excellence of his kicking game. The only aspect holding him back at present is concerns around his defence. This appears more based on a slight frame rather than technique or bravery.

Standing 6’3”, the 21-year-old will grow into his body and, I suspect, those questions will disappear. Coupled with the necessary temperament, what both Crowley and Prendergast also possess, is composure in chaos. In the crowded midfields and blitz defences that dominate the game now, all top class No 10s have to be able to cope with that lack of space.

In the most demanding of circumstances, both displayed those qualities in the heat of battle on Friday night which suggests they will be locked in a dog fight for the Irish No 10 shirt for a long time. After all Crowley is only 24 - Sexton was only beginning to break through at that age - with 18 caps already under his belt, while Prendergast is three years younger.

When Ireland needed a boost, Osborne, who only turned 23 last Saturday, generated badly needed momentum once introduced. When you consider the man he replaced, Robbie Henshaw, had a decent outing and one of Ireland’s most consistent performers in Bundee Aki was sat in the stand, the versatile Kildare man is now applying pressure on two very seasoned campaigners.

Osborne represents the future.

Farrell’s most pressing challenge is in fast-tracking the development of young props. Clarkson is definitely one of those. Winning a key scrum penalty at a vital stage lit up his night and this appearance needs to be built on.

Up in the stand, sitting alongside Aki, a potential long-term challenger to Andrew Porter on the other side of the scrum in Jack Boyle. I’d be tempted to start Prendergast against Fiji with experience either side of him at scrum half and inside centre while recalling Frawley to the bench in order to give him the chance to put the New Zealand experience behind him.

In resting Crowley, I would also tell him he will start against Australia as, for me, he is clearly Ireland’s first choice No. 10. Given the stuttering nature of the opening two performances, Farrell has a some big calls to make for the remaining two tests in this window.