The nascent career of Joey Carbery came under the microscope on Monday Night Rugby, with Eddie O'Sullivan saying that he still has to learn to cope under pressure, and 'lacks gravitas' in his game.
"I think he lacked a bit of gravitas in his game. He got befuddled one time when he went into a little cul-de-sac and got turned over.
"He was distributing the ball well, but he wasn't the same threat that you would usually expect from him. He didn't have the game by the scruff of the neck and drive it on.
"He has a very experienced scrum-half inside him in Conor Murray, but the [number] 10 is the guy that drives the bus. The 9 can help to take pressure off him, and keep the fringe uncomfortable but it's the 10 that runs the show.
"I think Carbery needs to step up in that area and just have the game by the scruff of the neck when the chips are down. It's easy to do when things are going well; when you're in front of a crowd and everyone is playing well.
"The key for a 10 is to dig you out of a hole. If he wants to step into the pantheon of Irish fly-halves that he possibly could do, then he has plenty to choose from.
"Jonathan Sexton has done that, Ronan O'Gara did it before him. So that is what he needs to get to.
"He is on a journey and there will be days like this, but there was a big price on Saturday."
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