The online debate surrounding Crowley and Prendergast moved Farrell to launch an impassioned plea for “keyboard warriors” to “cop on” following the Italy win.
It has been a constant discussion point ever since a then 21-year-old Prendergast was elevated to the starting line-up during the 2024 autumn internationals. That one plays for Leinster and the other Munster has only fanned the flames.
Having been through his own battle for the shirt with Ronan O’Gara, Johnny Sexton – now an Ireland assistant coach – last year revealed he told Crowley and Prendergast to delete their social media accounts.
But while online commentary had Farrell visibly irritated a few weeks ago, Crowley appeared unperturbed when the topic was raised before the Wales match.
“It is [easy] if you just if you just put it away, don’t engage with it,” he said.
“It’s like anything. You have a choice and you can choose to not engage. You can choose to engage. And it’s it’s just like creating good habits day-to-day, like with your nutrition or diet or training performance, you make a choice and you commit to it.”
Social media comments are one thing, but Crowley understands that the atmosphere during games can affect players, too.
Against England, his opposite number George Ford was ironically cheered for finding touch after missing two earlier efforts.
“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,” he said when asked how to deal with a hostile environment.
“For us it might be kicking, but for line-out throwers, it might be the pressure that they could be getting in hostile environments. So during the week, just feeling what it might be like to to be under a little bit of pressure.
“Breath works for me, a lot of breath works, bring it back to to what’s in your control and I think having a good technique that that needs to be robust no matter what situation it is.”
