Farrell Expresses Confidence in Prendergast Ahead of First Start

Sam Prendergast’s selection at fly-half is among seven alterations implemented by head coach Andy Farrell for the upcoming Autumn Nations Series match: Ireland v Fiji. The game is scheduled for Saturday, 23 November, with a kick-off at 15:10 GMT, at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Coverage will be available on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, alongside live text and commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. Ireland’s head coach, Andy Farrell, expressed his “confident” in Sam Prendergast’s ability to perform in what is described as the most significant moment of his nascent career. This follows the inclusion of the 21-year-old Leinster fly-half in the squad designated to play against Fiji. Farrell has assigned Prendergast the number 10 shirt for the initial time, subsequent to his appearance as a substitute late in the previous week’s victory against Argentina. Despite Prendergast having commenced only eight matches for Leinster, Farrell is convinced of his readiness for international Test rugby, citing his strong performances during the recent Emerging Ireland tour in South Africa. “I’m confident from what we’ve seen. We took him on the Emerging [Ireland] and he played in all of those games,” said Farrell. “The aim of that was to grab hold of that team and make sure that he treated it like it was his own as though he was in charge and he did that in spades. “This week we’ve seen the benefit of that but we need to see it transfer obviously.” When questioned regarding Prendergast’s disposition, Farrell further stated: “His character is composed, confident but yet not over-confident. He’s assertive in what he wants and he has a nice way about how he goes about his business.” For the Fiji encounter, Farrell has implemented seven personnel adjustments, which include the maiden appearances for Ulster back row Cormac Izuchukwu and Leinster hooker Gus McCarthy. Farrell remarked: “Izzy has been in and around the squad for a while. The first Emerging Ireland tour was when we first came across his ability, his athleticism, his point of difference,” he observed. “That was a couple of years ago but the improvement in his maturity of his game, because he was young in the 15-a-side game when the first tour was on, but the difference between the first and second tour was like chalk and cheese. “His ability and potential with that maturity, he deserves a shot to show us all what he’s got.” Regarding McCarthy, who led the Ireland Under-20s to a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2023, Farrell commented: “He’s been a captain and you can see why because his maturity in how he goes about the game.” He further stated: “We took him on the training week [to Portugal] as a development player and he showed up unbelievably well. He forced our hand to keep him in the squad first and foremost and he deserves a shot to see what he can do as well.” Farrell indicated that the match against Fiji presents an opportunity for Jacob Stockdale, a hero from the 2018 Grand Slam, to re-establish his presence at the international Test level. Farrell additionally asserted that Stockdale “deserved” his re-selection, having given the Ulster wing his initial Test start in more than a year. “His form has been great and he’s been back in the fold with us albeit not getting an opportunity over the past 12 months. “We’ve seen that improvement in his game. He’s chomping at the bit and this is opportunity to show us what he’s about at this level again.” Ireland’s autumn campaign commenced with a disheartening loss to the All Blacks, followed by a 22-19 victory against Argentina last week. However, after holding a 22-9 advantage at halftime, the Irish squad had to repel a determined Pumas team to prevent consecutive home defeats. When questioned about his expectations for his team on Saturday, Farrell stated: “Better discipline, more continuity in how we play, which leads to more pressure being put on the opposition,” he said. “The same intent that we had in the first half and the same desire we had in the last five minutes to see out the game. All in all there’s a mixture of things.”