Bernard Jackman says Leinster and Munster's URC meeting next week will have a major say on Ireland's out-half picture in November, and he believes Andy Farrell will have to settle on his first-choice 10 by next year's Six Nations.
Sam Prendergast overtook Jack Crowley in the depth chart at the end of 2024, and got the majority of the game time in the Six Nations, while they traded starts on the summer tour of Georgia and Portugal.
However, Crowley has begun the new season in impressive form for Munster, and drew rave reviews for his game-management in last week's 23-20 win against Cardiff, while Prendergast has endured a tough start in Leinster's opening defeats in South Africa.
"The form is saying Jack [Crowley], but you have to take into account it was very difficult [for Leinster] against the Stormers for any player behind the forward pack," Jackman said on this week's RTÉ Rugby podcast.
"Sam [Prendergast] had some good moments on Saturday, but the home game against Cardiff, Jack was definitely on form and looks really sharp.
"He looks like he's put on a bit of bulk, but also looks lean. He’s started the season really well. By all accounts he didn't take much of a break, he just wanted to get back into it."
The provinces meet next week at Croke Park in Round 4 of the URC, with the pair expected to be starting opposite each other for the first time in an Interpro. Prendergast didn't feature when the sides met in Dublin last year, while Crowley was rested for the return fixture at Thomond Park at Christmas.
"By the time the Six Nations comes around, we need to know who is our number one..." 🔟@bernardjackman on the out-half balance of power for Ireland ☘️
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 9, 2025
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"I’m fascinated by Munster-Leinster. I will be gutted if they don't play against each other," Jackman added.
"We should be beyond the days of final trials or 'Probables v Possibles’, but if everybody who has spoken passionately – either pro-Crowley or pro-Prendergast – bought a ticket for the match, it would be sold-out.
"Leinster, you would imagine, will be strong. Munster will be strong, and make a judgement after that. Then you’ll see who is on form.
"You could make excuses for a South Africa tour, but that [Leinster v Munster] is two weeks before they play the All Blacks.
"I’d love to see them go head-to-head. I haven’t seen them go head-to-head before in a real meaningful game."
And while Jackman still expects some level of rotation across Ireland's four-game slate in November, he believes the Ireland head coach will have to solidify his first choice by 2026, ahead of the World Cup in 2027.
"At some stage, Andy will have to pick his number one. By the time the Six Nations comes around, we need to know who’s our number one heading towards this World Cup, and make sure the second choice gets opportunities and is comfortable."
The former Ireland hooker also expressed concerns about how prepared some Irish players will be for their meeting with the All Blacks in Chicago on Saturday 1 November.
Munster's Tadhg Beirne will likely only have one game under his belt before taking on New Zealand and while Leinster are set to play some of their British and Irish Lions contingent, others won't feature until the Croke Park Interpro.
The Ireland squad will depart for Chicago on 21 October, meaning those in the squad won't be available for the Round 5 URC games that weekend.
Connacht and Ulster's postponed fixtures from last weekend are also likely to impact game time.
"I think what's interesting, that maybe we haven't thought about, is the effect of that Connacht game and Ulster game being postponed last weekend
"It'll be very difficult if even possible that Richie [Murphy] and Stuart Lancaster will change their selections that they selected to play last week for this week, and that actually could have a knock-on effect on Finlay Bealham and Bundee Aki coming back into the picture.
"Less so Ulster, who didn't have any Lions, but for Finlay Bealham, Bundee Aki, Mack Hanson, it may affect the amount of game time that they get before the All Blacks match.
"I actually did something this morning with Andy Farrell, and that was something he said and I hadn't thought about it. It affects two game selections rather than one and it's totally understandable that whoever Stuart Lancaster picked last week or Richie Murphy picked, they go again because they didn't get a chance to play
"When the international players and the Lions players’ reintroduction is being planned, they weren't expecting a postponement so it's not the end of the world but there is a chance - and he [Farrell] admitted that maybe some of the players who play against the All Blacks have played one game and maybe someone would have played no game.
"I certainly wouldn't say any player, if they had a choice, would want to go into a an All Blacks Test match on the back of one URC game."
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