WITH JUST 57 seconds on the clock, Jack Crowley has a chance to put Munster into a fine attacking position down in the Castres 22. He eyes the right corner with his penalty kick to touch as the Munster forwards make a lineout call and mentally prepare themselves for what should be the first set-piece. But Crowley doesn’t connect with his line kick at all, the ball skidding low into the Castres 22 and landing a good seven metres infield, giving the French side a chance to clear their line, chase upfield, and win a breakdown penalty that they kick into Munster’s 22.
It’s a big swing moment early in the game and Crowley’s night ends in a similar fashion. In the 80th minute, Munster win a penalty a couple of metres inside their own half, trailing 16-14. Crowley discusses the options with captain Tadhg Beirne and clearly feels he doesn’t have the distance to land a penalty shot at goal.
Centre Rory Scannell isn’t asked to take on the long-range effort either. With 80:17 on the clock, Crowley steals a few metres into the Castres half and launches his line kick down the left. He nearly finds touch 10 metres out from the tryline but has to watch in agony as Castres wing Geoffrey Palis cleverly leaps from outside the field, catches the ball, and lands infield before launching it into the stand.
Game over. These moments are snapshots of Crowley’s night as the Munster out-half endured a frustrating outing in Stade Pierre Fabre, where he started a Champions Cup game for the.
