Eddie O'Sullivan: Ireland looked 'directionless' without Sexton in Australia win
- Published
Jack Crowley had to literally put on Sexton's number 10 jersey after the veteran fly-half was ruled with a calf injury picked up in the pre-match warm-up
Eddie O'Sullivan says an obvious takeaway from Ireland's narrow 13-10 win over Australia on Saturday was the team's "lack of direction" after Johnny Sexton's late withdrawal from the side.
O'Sullivan felt Jack Crowley "did pretty well" after his late inclusion but says Ireland clearly missed Sexton.
"Ireland have more direction and know what they are doing when Sexton is at the helm," O'Sullivan told BBC Radio Ulster's Sportsound Extra Time.
"Ireland did look a bit directionless."
Thirty-seven-old Sexton's continuing importance to the team - and with Andy Farrell still attempting to decide on an obvious back-up fly-half - will remain a concern for Ireland fans as next year's World Cup in France draws near.
While Crowley started, Ireland's late winning penalty was kicked by replacement fly-half Ross Byrne, who only came into the squad after Sexton's withdrawal.
Ireland went into Saturday night's game minus other fly-half options Joey Carbery, ruled out by a head injury, and Ciaran Frawley, who underwent knee surgery last week and is expected to be sidelined for a number of months.
Referring to Munster youngster Crowley, who was pressed into service moments before the kick-off after making his debut off the bench in the win over Fiji, O'Sullivan added: "It's probably unfair to expect a player on his first start to come in and grab everything by the scruff of the neck.
"I don't think it [Saturday's game] says Crowley isn't up to the job.
"At the same time, there's no defining moment to say that he's definitely the next man up for the job so it's still out for discussion from Farrell's point of view."
O'Sullivan believes Crowley's inclusion could prove beneficial in that he now does have big game experience against a tier-one nation, which he may not get during the Six Nations in the Spring.
"I thought Farrell had maybe missed a trick in not putting Crowley into start because he won't get to do that in the Six Nations unless Sexton picks up an injury. So it happened by accident rather than design."
Overall, O'Sullivan felt "it was a game Ireland were lucky to get out of".
"The general narrative of the game was that it's great to win ugly but had Foley decided to kick the [late] penalty and succeeded, it could have been a draw," added the former Ireland coach.