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Ireland interim boss Simon Easterby has backed rookie fly-half Sam Prendergast to rise to the challenge of showcasing his “unbelievable talent” in his first Test match outside of Dublin.
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Following a Guinness Six Nations debut in last weekend’s 27-22 bonus-point win over England, 21-year-old Prendergast has been retained ahead of Jack Crowley for Sunday’s Murrayfield clash with Scotland.
Easterby admits it was a “tough selection call” on the back of Crowley’s impressive cameo against Steve Borthwick’s side and suggested the number 10 jersey may change hands during the remainder of the championship.
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Prendergast, whose four previous international caps came at the Aviva Stadium, has faced hostile atmospheres at provincial level in recent months, helping Leinster to victories away to Munster and La Rochelle.
“We saw when he left Ireland camp in November and had the opportunity to play away from home with Leinster, he handled those pretty well,” Easterby told reporters on Friday morning.
“It’s early days for him, we know that he has unbelievable talent and the expectation on him probably from himself, but also from the outside world, is pretty high at the moment.
“We’re trying to support him in the best way we can, to allow him to keep growing, keep enjoying those experiences, learning from them, and they’re not always going to be perfect.
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“Unless you have them, you won’t know how to handle them in the future.”
Munster player Crowley played every minute of Ireland’s Six Nations title-winning campaign in 2024 and was praised for his impact against England by opposition head coach Borthwick.
“It was another tough selection call but we felt like the right decision in terms of continuity but also the growth of Sam,” said Easterby.
“We know as well that Jack is itching to get a start in the 10 jersey.
“I’m not saying we’ll keep that selection right throughout the championship but this week we feel it’s the right thing to do.
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“Jack is clearly disappointed but he’s an unbelievable person.
“He’s so supportive. His own disappointment doesn’t reflect on the way he trained yesterday, the way he is in camp, the way he’s supporting Sam and the other players.
“We’re in a position where we’re trying to grow both of them and trying to grow Sam’s experiences, not just at home last week in a huge game for him and for us as a team, but also now going away from home.”
Ireland are seeking an 11th successive win over Scotland in their pursuit of an unprecedented third consecutive Six Nations title.
Former captain Peter O’Mahony has been recalled in place of Ryan Baird at blindside flanker after being left out of Easterby’s matchday squad in round one, while centre Robbie Henshaw replaces Garry Ringrose in the other personnel change.
O’Mahony, who initially succeeded the retired Johnny Sexton as skipper before the responsibility was passed to Caelan Doris, has managed only five appearances for Munster in a season hampered by injury.
Easterby added: “With Pete, we spoke before the England week. Having come into camp with a little bit less rugby under his belt we felt he needed some time to work on a little bit of conditioning.
“I think he supported the guys last week incredibly well.
“Bairdo, some of his lineout work was excellent – Pete brings that but he also brings experience which at the moment some other players can’t offer.
“It’s probably a decision we’ve been thinking about for a couple of weeks but, after the England performance, it was a chance to bring Pete in, bring his experience to the table and keep Bairdo involved off the bench.”
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Calls to drop Pendergast? Why? I thought he played well.
Same, he was pretty good for a young ten. Not sure why they'd drop him. It was a lot easier for Crowley when England's line speed had slowed down.