Who is Ireland's rookie number 10 Sam Prendergast and why is he causing so much chat?
Life has been moving along at pace for the 21-year-old from Kildare who will start for Ireland against Fiji this afternoon
Rookie Ireland out-half Sam Prendergast doesn’t seem to have been around long enough to have sparked so much debate.
Some of it has been good, some genuinely interesting as he is in the international spotlight and some, via social media, pure ugly.
Life has been moving along at pace for the 21-year-old from Kildare who will start for Ireland against Fiji this afternoon.
The good part of the debate centres on just how good Prendergast has been rolling on through schools rugby with Newbridge College, joining the Leinster Academy, stepping up to Ireland Under-20s and, as a keynote no10, guiding them to a World Cup final in July 2023.
There, Ireland were beaten by what was considered an exceptional French unit.
Aside from Prendergast and, in a way, Gus McCarthy’s notable breakthrough and sporadic, impressive, sightings of Hugh Gavin at Connacht, Fintan Gunne at Leinster, Ruadhan Quinn and Brian Gleeson at Munster, it’s fair to say that that Under-20s team are still, in the main, tomorrow’s children.
It has been different for Prendergast, his languid style, perceptive vision, soccer-type use of kicking, and late, late passing technique have marked him out.
Ireland boss Andy Farrell has not been backwards about coming forward to praise the youngster this November.
But then talking of Prendergast is a play within the play — of Ireland and the no10 shirt, the focus of Ronan O’Gara, David Humphreys, Johnny Sexton for so long.
The opening act to Prendergast’s big gig, the domination of the position by Sexton for years and years and years to the detriment of other aspirants and leaving the cupboard bare, are things way beyond his control, before his time.
Sexton retired 12 months ago following playing the majority of the games in the RWC 2019-RWC2023 cycle, while those who managed the lion’s share of the game time in behind him — Billy Burns, Joey Carbery and Ross Byrne — have been jettisoned from the international squad.
Late in the day Farrell eased in Jack Crowley and an initial toying with Ciaran Frawley, despite little indication there was going to be game time at no10 at Leinster, paid dividend before that worrying All Blacks game two weeks back cast some shadow over both.
Meanwhile the Ireland coach was getting nearer to having to temporarily step away from his post as the bigger picture, the Lions job, kicked in.
Having played the All Blacks and Argentina with his ‘old’ RWC2023 unit, he was left with Fiji and Australia as his canvas before being absent for 11 months.
This squeezing of his time, possibly more than anything else, pushed project Prendergast and a decent last quarter cameo against Argentina has been rewarded with a start against
Fiji.
Perhaps our memories are short — but 21 years of age might not register as young in an historical Ireland rugby context.
Luke Fitzgerald and Robbie Henshaw made their Ireland debuts at 19 years of age but, in turn, they were the youngest players since Alastair McKibben in 1977 at 19 years and two days.
Yet recent practice has seen the provinces holding back young players — something mentioned by Farrell as hampering the national team when announcing the side this week — in favour of older, more experienced operators.
Today, Ireland will start an out-half who has those accomplishments listed above but who has only made eight starts for Leinster and only two of them this season.
Those Blues starts are augmented by another nine games where he was used from the bench.
He has played just 69 minutes of Champions Cup rugby.
So far, so good on to the Argentina game where he was a sub and where, beforehand, his brother and Connacht captain Cian had presented him with his jersey.
Said Sam: “It was a nervous week and pretty surreal the whole week really, from when I got named in the team and family coming into the Shelbourne and having Cian in camp as well and then getting to play in front of a full Aviva, singing the national anthem for the first time.
“Andy had just said to be myself really to trust what I have done to get this far and to just try to be the best version of myself and that’s what I tried to do when I played, just tried to put a few nerves behind me.
“I was trying to focus all week on not worrying when I was coming on because I couldn’t control that and getting on happened pretty quickly, a quick transition from warming up behind the posts to ‘ok, you’re going on’.
“Then I was on and at that stage it was a tight game, a tight Test match. It was my first Test match but I was trying to do my best for the team so that we could win and we ended up winning so that was great.”
Thus, having got the players capped second game into the November Series Farrell has made his play for Fiji.
He wants to see Prendergast in from the beginning.
The consensus around the Ireland camp which, remember, has Leinster players as its by far largest contingent, is that the young out half-half had no problem finding his voice.
He is confident.
This is complimentary; part of the acceptance that they want to play with a no10 who is clear, concise, loud enough and bolshie enough when needed.
“Yeah, it is intimidating,” he admits of coming into a settled group of older players, "but I probably found it hardest at the start when I was with Leinster.
“There are some intimidating figures who are very experienced and it (command) might come naturally to me at some times, maybe when we are on the training field or in matches.
“But, yeah, it is a bit of a work in progress and there is a lot of other good voices in the group and it is maybe worked up to be a bit bigger than it is.
“Like, there is a lot of other people who speak as well so it is not just the no10 who has to lead the week.”
Remember that bit back up there, so far, so good?
Well, by midweek this week some rugby natives were getting restless on social media, with suggestions Prendergast’s elevation was yet another example of Leinster getting all the breaks form the IRFU.
After Ross Byrne, Ciaran Frawley, Harry Byrne and now Prendergast this was just Blue bias in selection, some believed.
Some said that Munster out-half Jack Crowley was being victimised in favour of a physically weak youngster, a poor tackler.
It was odd in that Ireland’s first choice out-half rarely plays again the ‘weak’ nation game in November.
Last year was an RWC year, but Carbery played against Fiji in 2022 and Argentina 2021 while Byrne and Burns had 2020 outings in Covid-type fixtures.
Meanwhile, this 21-year-old is the exact same weight as Sexton was on his — man of the match — Ireland debut in 2009 against...Fiji.
That Prendergast stands at 6’4” to Sexton’s 6’2” means it is just distributed slightly differently.
Suddenly, a young man’s week —which had been going so well hit — something of a speed bump and when the idea he was too light for international rugby was mentioned to him it was clear from his reaction it was something that had never crossed his mind before.
“I dunno, I definitely think I can get better at it...” he began before changing his posture in the seat, counter-attacking if you like.
“Slight? I think that’s a bit harsh, I’m just quite tall. I could definitely put on a bit of size. I’m not in a huge rush to do that. I think I’m decently heavy for the position I play.
“I’m definitely trying to get better at my defence. I’ve been working with coaches in Leinster and Ireland coaches about it. Jack has defended very well over the first couple of games, Johnny was a great defender, people who I look up to like Owen Farrell, great defender.
“It’s obviously a huge part of the game. You spend half the game without the ball. You’ve got to be very good at it. I am really trying to get better at it. I think the ‘slight’ thing is a bit harsh.”
This is bad in that there should be such social media ahead-of-time verdicts.
But this is good too; great in that Prendergast looks like he is combative, willing to face what’s in front of him, prepared to stand his ground, turn menace on menace.
Farrell’s choice of out-half for this Fiji game has been a bold, forward-looking one that — if Ireland win today — may see the player, at a guess, no22 for four 2025 Six Nations games and a start against Italy, on Simon Easterby’s watch.
However, if Ireland lose, it will most likely occasion a rethink — with Prendergast coming back into the fold for the summer tour and Farrell’s return next November.
We may have reason to remember Ireland/Fiji 2024 as fondly as we should recall Ireland/Fiji 2009 which, don’t forget, was a modest beginning for a future World Player of the Year.
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