Simon Easterby has given his backing to Jack Crowley to make an impact at out-half this week, while he remains "confident" the Munster man will stay in Ireland next season.
Crowley is named in the number 10 shirt for Saturday's Guinness Six Nations finale against Italy in Rome, one of six changes to the side that began last week's defeat to France in Dublin.
It's a first start of this championship for the Munster out-half, who has had to supplement Sam Prendergast on the bench in previous games, while three of his four substitute appearances have come in the centre or at full-back.
With Crowley falling behind Prendergast in the depth chart, Leicester Tigers are reportedly trying to capitalise on any frustrations with an attempt to sign the 25-year-old as their replacement for Handre Pollard.
"Jack knows how important he is to us," the Ireland interim head coach said, after naming his side to take on Italy this afternoon.
"Regardless of selection across the last four games, he understands the role that he has and the standing he has in the group."
With the IRFU not considering players contracted abroad for national selection, Crowley (above) would be putting his international career on pause if he took the Tigers up on their offer.
But Easterby said he's confident the 23-cap international will be playing in the red of Munster and green of Ireland, rather than the red and green of Leicester.
"He's a brilliant person first and foremost," he said.
"He's a great pro, he’s always looking to get better.
"We believe that for him to keep getting better, keep getting experiences at this level and keep driving us forward as a team, and being competitive in the number 10 position in particular, it’s important that he obviously plays his rugby in Ireland. And we are confident that will continue to happen.
"He's a great fella who takes a lot of stuff in his stride and he’s dealt with a lot of stuff during this period with Sam getting selected over him a couple of times and he’s managed that really well.
"He has come on and been effective against England, he was brilliant when he came on at 10, and in other roles throughout the championship, so, no I don’t believe that would affect him this weekend."
The Ireland coach (below) also insisted his out-half change isn't a knee-jerk reaction to last week's defeat, which ended Ireland's Grand Slam hopes, and leaves them unlikely to secure a third championship in a row.
"Regardless of the result last week we were looking at making changes. Jack's been brilliant, working away, supporting Sam in his first experiences of the Six Nations. Jack had that last year and we just felt like it was the right thing to do for Jack, to get in to lead the week.
"It was a pretty physical game last week, it took a lot out of a lot of players in particular. That role that Sam has done has been brilliant in terms of leading the team. It takes a lot pf physical effort, but also mental effort.
"It will be a good week to freshen things up a little bit. Sam's got a different role now to play, coming off the bench, and it allows Jack, who is a bit fresher, to lead the week. I just thought it was the right thing to do there."
Meanwhile, Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray will both earn their final Ireland caps off the bench in Rome on Saturday, but Cian Healy's international career is now over, barring a late injury for Andrew Porter or Jack Boyle.
The loosehead prop (below), who has played a record 137 times for Ireland, is replaced by his Leinster team-mate Boyle in the matchday squad.
The 37-year-old previously confirmed he would retire at the end of the season.
Easterby said: "I had a conversation with Cian in the early part of the week and it is tough, but we have very limited time to get players these types of experiences. So the likes of Jack Boyle who has come in on the bench, he has been really good in training, he's been excellent.
"We don't have many opportunities at international level for meaningful games to get game experiences, get guys game time, so that was the conversation I had with Cian.
"I thought last week was so fitting for all three of them, the send-off they had, how the squad recognised that internally, how it was recognised externally in the Aviva and the nation, loads of messages coming in from people in terms of what they've given the jersey.
"Cian has been at the forefront of that. He was obviously disappointed but he understood the rationale behind it and he has been brilliant in the week.
"He will only make Jack's role that much more effective by being the best team-mate that he can be. Cian gets it."
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