Former Ireland international Stephen Ferris believes that Ciarán Frawley is edging ahead of Harry Byrne in the battle to claim the Leinster number 10 jersey on a long-term basis.
Frawley came off the bench in France to play a starring role in his side's 16-9 victory over La Rochelle in the Champions Cup on Sunday.
With Byrne, preferred to start at out-half over Frawley, going off just before half-time for a head injury assessment, Frawley was immediately thrust into action in storm-like conditions at the Stade Marcel-Deflander.
His first action was to kick a penalty to ensure that his side went in with a four-point lead at the break and he produced a second-half masterclass, culminating with a nerveless 60-metre penalty to seal Leinster’s win.
With Frawley and Byrne both duking it out to be make the number 10 slot their own in the wake of Jonny Sexton’s retirement, Ferris feels that it’s Frawley who is moving ahead.
Speaking on 2fm’s Game On, he admitted that he hasn’t always been convinced by the hype surrounding Frawley.
"Everybody around Dublin, who had watched Ciarán Frawley played a hell of lot that myself has said 'this guy has it’," he said.
"I wasn’t sure, I hadn’t really seen it. Anytime he’d got a chance for Leinster he was okay and then he’d been in so many matchday squads and had to pull out of a few with injury of that he’d picked up niggles or whatever. We hadn’t really got to see a string of games.
"Then he comes off and the first thing he does it set down the ball on the kicking tee. Into a breeze, weather conditions horrific, his team are banking on him to get these three points before the half-time break.
"He just steps up, puts the ball on the tee, one or two breaths, bangs it over and straight into the sheds for half-time.
"He just oozes that bit more confidence than Harry Byrne. Maybe I’m wrong and Harry just doesn’t show it in the same way but I think Ciarán Frawley has stood up to the hype that had been generated.
"Any time there’s a little bit of pressure he seems to rise to it. He played brilliantly against Munster when he had to come on, then he gets the winning try against Connacht, then he puts the boots on and strikes a couple of lovely nudges over the bar to get the win away to La Rochelle.
"You can’t doubt this guys’ confidence or ability and he’s stood up to the mark so far."
