JACK Crowley started the Six Nations on the bench in Paris on a Thursday night. He finished it as Ireland’s first-choice No. 10, delivering one of his best performances in green and earning ‘outstanding’ praise from his head coach.

The Innishannon man has proved he is Ireland’s best option at out-half right now. He earned his chance, but more importantly, he grabbed it.

It’s no coincidence that Ireland’s performances improved when Crowley was on the pitch. With Sam Prendergast, the favoured No. 10 heading into the Six Nations, struggling in the opening games against France and Italy, the opportunity presented itself to the former Bandon Rugby Club star. But it came with huge pressure.

He had to impress. Otherwise, he risked slipping down the pecking order, just as quickly as he had climbed it.

But Crowley responded.

Think back to his positive impact off the bench in the struggle at home to Italy. In the three games he started after that – against England, Wales and Scotland – Ireland secured bonus-point wins. Crowley helped push Ireland into an unlikely title conversation right up to the last kick of the tournament, when Thomas Ramos’ late penalty sparked celebrations in Paris.

Against Scotland on Saturday, Crowley delivered again, sparkling as Ireland powered to the Triple Crown.

‘It was his best performance of the campaign, by a long shot. He looked very comfortable. He made a lot of really good, simple decisions,’ former Ireland star Rob Kearney said.

‘He was square with his running, he didn’t take much out of the ball, a lot of the time it was catch and pass, making all the players around him look good.’

Mature and confident, this was Crowley’s stage. His kicking improved from the previous weekend against Wales, as he landed five conversions – including a touchline effort at the end – and a penalty. The 26-year-old was assured with the ball, from hand and foot, and managed the game with authority, also setting up Jamie Osborne for a try.

Jack Crowley showed his class with a polished display against Scotland.

When the pressure came on, the West Cork man delivered. For now, the No. 10 debate is over.

‘I thought he was outstanding,’ Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said.

‘I mean, the obvious word is he committed to his performance in every aspect. It wasn't just the goal-kicking or the ball in the air, but you can see that he committed to every aspect of his game and led the team really well. He committed to everything. For example, his phase play. His passing was crisp. It was quicker. He had more intent at the line. He made people sit down more. He turned the corner well. All that type of stuff. He committed to all aspects of his game.’

As Ireland developed throughout the tournament, rebounding from the demoralising 36-14 loss away to France on the opening night, Crowley’s influence grew with each passing game.

The Munster man showed resilience and steel to win back the starting spot, having fallen behind Prendergast. Now the Irish management need to show the same backing and trust to Crowley as they did with his rival. Back Jack. Give him the chance to build on these last three games.

That is now the call facing Farrell and his management team. They showed faith in Prendergast at different stages, sticking with him through difficult moments. He was their number one option, but that plan hasn’t worked out. Now, having seen Crowley help turn around Ireland’s fortunes after a difficult start to the campaign, Farrell and Co must show the same conviction. Selection at this level is as much about trust as talent, and Crowley has earned both.

With the 2027 Rugby World Cup not too far away, Ireland need a nailed-down first-choice No. 10. Right now, that’s Crowley, though Prendergast, Ciarán Frawley and Harry Byrne will all hold similar ambitions.

When Ireland begin their inaugural Nations Championship campaign in July – with games against Australia, Japan and New Zealand – Crowley needs to be backed. He has to start against Australia and the All Blacks. But he also needs to keep delivering, bringing his best form back to Munster before international action ramps up again.

Crowley’s challenge now is consistency, to reproduce this level week after week. Achieve that, and he will be very hard to dislodge. Fail to do so, and the debate will quickly reopen. Since the retirement of Johnny Sexton, Ireland have been searching for clarity at out-half. Different options have been tried, but there has been no settled answer. Before his start against England, Crowley had started just one of the previous seven Six Nations games and even featured at full-back against France, such was the faith placed in Prendergast. What Crowley has done over the last three games is offer something Ireland have lacked: a sense of certainty in the position. Against both England and Scotland, he impressed, dovetailing effectively with Jamison Gibson-Park.

He is the man in possession of the No. 10 jersey, but the real work is holding on to it. Now that Crowley has shown he is the right man for the position, the chatter around the Ireland out-half spot should quieten.

The Crowley v Prendergast rivalry hasn’t brought the best out of either player, with Crowley in particular knowing that sub-standard displays would send him back to the bench. But with Prendergast needing time to rebuild confidence, and not even guaranteed a starting spot with Leinster, this is an opportunity for Crowley to underline his credentials.

With Ireland emerging from the Six Nations in a better position than when they started, optimism is rising again. Crowley can play a big role in this. But while it’s time to back Jack, he must also prove he is both the present and the future.