Jack Crowley smiled when it was put to him and said it's far too early in his career to start thinking about chasing down Johnny Sexton’s scoring record.
The Munster out-half made his World Cup debut against Romania in the opening round, scoring four conversions, on his seventh cap, when he replaced Sexton in the second half.
The Bandon native grew up watching the Ireland skipper and fellow Cork native Ronan O’Gara, whose playing career ended in 2013.
Sexton beat O'Gara’s all-time points tally to move to 1,090 with a haul of 16 in Saturday’s 59-16 win over Tonga.
"I think I’m a long way away from that, I’m yet to score a try," he told RTÉ Sport.
"Look, they are sporting greats for Ireland and for a reason because of the many years they put into the Irish jersey, for me I've a long way to go to reach that level.
"They are great people to have around and I’m sure any youngster would be looking up and aspire to be like them."
Sexton turned 38 over the summer and, when fit, has never had to worry about his place at the top of the order.
Crowley insists that his longevity only served to inspire young out-halves.
"I think he's not blocked it but opened it up to show the possibilities," he said.
"Even at 38, to show to youngsters his skills and the dedication he puts into his game, it can go a long way and he’s showing the youngsters in Ireland what’s possible if you apply yourself to your prep and put everything into the game.
"I think for every youngster around Ireland he’s really carving the way, particularly for young out-halves. He’s the fella that’s leading the way."
Asked what one thing he is able to take from learning under one of the world’s greatest out-halfs, he said: "I don’t think there’s one thing I can take.
"I think just the level of detail he puts into his preparation.
"I don’t think that can be [underestimated] because everything you do in the week leads up to the game on Saturday, that’s more important so you can go out and perform with confidence."
The 23-year-old is now in competition with Leinster stand-off Ross Byrne for a place on the bench against world champions South Africa in Paris on Saturday night (8pm) in Pool B of the World Cup.
Able to play at first centre and at full-back, Crowley understands that sometimes versatile players can be at a disadvantage if they are moved around and not given time to establish themselves in one position.
However, he says his adaptability has enabled him to develop a more rounded game.
"You might look at things and see them as a negative and at times they can be but for me, learning in all those different positions [is great]," he said.
"At the start I never looked at it as a negative, being able to cover different positions.
"If you are at 15, you know what the 10 is looking for and when you are at 10 you know what the 15 is going to be defending like.
"To get that exposure and those experiences is massive. Game-time at any time is massive so to be able to go out there and play 15 or 12, I don't mind, I just like being involved and helping out where I can."
Crowley was a crucial part of Munster’s run to the URC title, during which he played away to the Sharks and the Stormers, twice.
Ahead of the mouthwatering clash with the Springboks, Crowley said that those games can only stand to him.
"Getting the opportunity to play in those games and exposed to that type of situation is something that every player wants to be able to grow," he said.
"Getting exposed to such quality sides and different elements they might bring has been something of a bonus for the URC and for teams in the northern hemisphere.
"It’s definitely raised the level of competition and challenged us in a different way."
Listen to the RTÉ Rugby podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Watch live coverage of Ireland v South Africa (Saturday, 8pm) on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1, and follow live updates on RTÉ Sport Online and the RTÉ News app.
