Former Ireland and Leinster centre Gordon D’Arcy believes the IRFU should evolve an "outdated" system that looks at the long-term health and performance of players, especially considering the demands of a packed rugby schedule after Jack Crowley was left out of the Christmas fixture. Crowley is Munster's starting 10, but due to the schedule and the IRFU's demands, he was given the game off, a move that annoyed many Munster fans.
Leinster are and were better than Munster in many facets, but when you leave out one of your key players, the task of downing them becomes even harder. Crowley is now expected to return for the Champions Cup ties with Saracens and Northampton Saints in the coming weeks.
D’Arcy believes that the IRFU should look to improve and evolve a rule that was created 20 years ago. The Wicklow native believes it's important that players like Crowley play in the Leinster games, despite the odds being stacked in Leinster's favour.
"That said, there are questions around Jack Crowley not playing at 10, with the injuries around the Munster scrum-half position suggesting an exemption should have been made, especially with no match this week and an opportunity for both Irish outhalves, Crowley and Prendergast, going head-to-head," said D’Arcy in his Irish Times column.
Jack Crowley kicks a penalty for Ireland (Image: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)“While there is no guarantee that Crowley would have changed the result, Munster is a more organised team when he starts.
“The URC is doing everything right to promote the best matches, and the Irish player management system is envied around the world. However, it was designed 20 years ago, when I was playing, and hasn’t evolved much since then.
“No doubt, the festive fixtures still have great energy and are arguably becoming more important than some of the Champions Cup fixtures. Because of that, we deserve to see the best players, like Crowley, playing.”
Munster's next game will be against Saracens in the Champions Cup on January 11.
