An arm around the shoulder and a beaming smile – new half-back pairing point to a bright future for Ireland

Exciting partnership hit the ground running in Marseille, as the duo aim to get up to speed and develop an intuitive understanding

It’s clear that Jamison Gibson-Park (right) and Jack Crowley (centre) is Andy Farrell’s preferred half-back partnership.

Cian Tracey

As Ireland finished their warm-up and headed for the Stade Velodrome dressing room, Jamison Gibson-Park put a friendly arm around Jack Crowley, whose beaming smile was a precursor of what was to come.

We are obviously not privy to what was said between Ireland’s new half-backs, but we can safely assume that Gibson-Park was gauging the temperature of the young man in the hot seat.