Jack Crowley is still the best Irish fly-half at the moment
There has been a lot of conversation in Irish rugby about who should wear the 10 shirt. Last summer it was between Crowley and Frawley but now it is between Crowley and Prendergast. The surprise this seasin was how quickly Prendergast was able to take hold of the Leinster 10 shirt and his refusal to relinquish it. He has been good for Ireland so far but still has room to grow. Crowley, who starts for Leinster's arch rivals Munster, has been the holder of the Irish shirt since Sexton retired and has hardly put a foot wrong but is believed to have a lower ceiling than Prendergast. Whatever the case is, Crowley is the better choice for the moment. Prendergast is talented but lacks experience, which he will quickly collect, and needs to add some weight as he develops for some added toughness defensively or he will be expected to be targeted by every team he plays.
England's defence has changed - and for the better
England's somewhat kamikazi defence caused them an incredible number of problems last year and needed to be changed. Luckily it has. Joe El-Abd has had time to settle in and used the time in Girona to implement his defence. It seemed to be starting to work as England now still use significant line speed whilst also drifting when necessary to protect the flanks rather than biting in massively and leaving themselves exposed.
England still lack the ability to dominate the opposition physically
One problem that has plagued England for a while now, is an inability to simply bully the opposition upfront. Despite the likes of George Martin and Ellis Genge starting, England don't have adequate power. Cunningham-South and Tom Willis would bring significant power to the pack. In order to properly utilise Marcus Smith, England's pack must achieve more dominance.
Ireland's depth stood up
Over the next few years, Ireland need to see several younger players break into an ageing squad to avoid the risk of decline before the next world cup. With the likes of Furlong and McCarthy missing, Ireland showed that they have the players to cover. Their bench actually proved to be the difference between themselves and the visitors. Crowley was superb and lead the charge to start what could be an historic six nations for the Irish.
Borthwick doesn't know enough of his best team
One big problem for Borthwick is the team's lack of consistency. It seems as though some decisions have been made. The front five, and centres are consistent but apart from that a lot is up in the air. Any number of players could start anywhere across the back row in any combination and it wouldn't be surprising. One of three players could start at fly-half with Borthwick seemingly still flirting with the idea of Marcus Smith playing at fullback. Even then the fly-half position is a toss up between Fin Smith and George Ford. The possibility of Marcus Smith moving to fullback also creates unpredictability in the back three. Will Steward start at fullback? Will he be in the squad at all? Will he play on the wing? Having a couple of these questions is no problem, but so many at once creates instability which can't be helping a team that desperately needs a big win.
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