Leicester have launched an audacious bid to sign Ireland fly-half Jack Crowley, as the East Midlands club scramble to fill the void left by the departure of Handre Pollard at the end of the season.
Mail Sport understands that representatives from the Tigers have held talks in Dublin with Munster’s playmaker, amid uncertainty about his plans beyond the end of the current campaign. The 25-year-old has been usurped in Ireland’s No 10 hierarchy during this Six Nations by breakthrough sensation Sam Prendergast of Leinster, creating a potential opportunity which Leicester are keen to exploit.
Most leading Irish players remain based at home in order to take advantage of favourable terms – competitive salaries and careful management by the national coaches, led by Andy Farrell. However, Crowley’s provincial contract is due to expire in June and there are doubts about whether he will be awarded a precious central deal by the IRFU.
There are strict limits on those contracts and 10 of the current batch of 14 have been awarded to Leinster players. Just one is held by a member of the Munster squad; Tadhg Beirne – the multi-purpose forward who can operate at lock or blindside flanker.
Leicester are tackling an urgent recruitment mission after Pollard, their World Cup-winning Springbok, recently confirmed that he would be returning to South Africa this summer, to re-join the Pretoria-based Bulls – where the 31-year-old made his name more than a decade ago. The Bok icon made his Tigers debut in October, 2022, after being lured from Montpellier as a replacement for George Ford.
Leicester want to sign Ireland fly-half Jack Crowley from Munster
The situation at Welford Road is particularly acute as Leicester are braced to lose not one but two leading fly-halves, with Jamie Shillcock – who has represented England ‘A’, agreeing to join French club Brive after this season. Scrambling to fill glaring gaps in their squad, the Tigers have already been linked with former England captain Owen Farrell – who is set to stay for another season at Racing 92 in Paris.
Sources suspect that Crowley will merely use Leicester’s interest as leverage to negotiate improved terms with the IRFU, to stay in the Irish system and continue a selection battle with Prendergast which is destined to go on for years. In addition, the latest phase of upheaval at Welford Road is not helping the best-supported English club’s prospects of making a statement signing.
Michael Cheika has informed the Tigers hierarchy that he will be leaving in the summer after one season in charge, as originally planned. The Leicester board were desperate to persuade the former Australia and Argentina coach to extend his stay, but he has committed to move on for personal reasons – with his family back home in Sydney. Cheika has been linked with Test jobs; with Wales and the Wallabies, while he is also believed to have been in talks with Racing.
Leicester’s quest to replace him has taken various twists and turns already. Former Tigers prop Graham Rowntree was regarded as a prime candidate – after a title-winning stint at Munster – but his prospects appear to have faded. Franco Smith was another on the wish-list given his stellar exploits with URC champions Glasgow, but he has his sights on either the Wales or Scotland jobs.
The latest indications are that the Tigers have settled on ex-England defence coach Paul Gustard as their preferred candidate, ahead of Stuart Lancaster – despite the fact that Gustard’s Stade Francais side are dicing with relegation trouble in France’s Top 14 league. Furthermore, he left Harlequins in 2021 after a run of poor results, amid rumours of squad unrest at his methods.
