IN AN IDEAL world, maybe we’d all just leave Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley alone and let them fulfil their potential away from the glare of the spotlight. Ban their names from headlines for the next few seasons. Shame any journalist who asks one player about the other in press conferences. Unsubscribe from any publication or podcast which has the audacity to compare one of these talented young out-halves to their direct rival.
Yet the world is not an ideal place, and so the two most-talked about players in Irish rugby will remain the two most-talked about players in Irish rugby as we dive into another season of discourse focused on the most crucial position in the Ireland team.
Nice and early into the new campaign, Munster’s trip to Croke Park this weekend has swiftly placed the Ireland out-half battle front and centre. Two weeks out from Ireland’s Chicago date with the All Blacks, how could we not make it about the 10s?
While the Leinster-Munster rivalry itself should be enough to shift tickets, Crowley v Prendergast is the selling point around which the latest edition of this famed fixture is being framed. And you can’t place the blame solely on those who write and talk about the game for a living – just look through the social media accounts of those tasked with putting bums on seats.
Earlier this month, Leinster posted an advertisement for the fixture titled: ‘Time deepens all rivalries’ – the text accompanied by pictures of Prendergast and Crowley in their provincial colours. The URC followed suit this week, using the same caption, but adding pictures of Johnny Sexton and Ronan O’Gara under the current Leinster and Munster 10s to really ram home the point. In case you weren’t aware, this isn’t just another URC game, it’s the latest episode of Succession: Ireland 10.
Of course, it’s perfectly fine to be relishing their expected face-off this weekend. The November internationals are just around the corner and Saturday’s game is shaping up to be the first time Crowley and Prendergast go toe-to-toe against each other away from the training pitch.
It’s an opportunity to lay down an important marker before heading into Ireland camp, but unless one of the two decides to bark in the other’s face à la Sexton v O’Gara, it’s just that. Nothing more, nothing less.
However November unfolds and no matter who ends the month as Ireland’s starting 10, unless one of the two suffers a serious drop off we’ll be having the same conversations about Prendergast and Crowley when they get back to their provinces for Champions Cup action in December and January, throughout the Six Nations, and across the closing months of the URC and Champions Cup.
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And it’s entirely possible the picture continues to shift as two talented players continue to develop over the coming months and years. At just 22, Prendergast is far from having all the boxes ticked but there is a reason Andy Farrell has shown so much faith in him and put all those Test minutes in his legs. Crowley too will feel he can bring his game to new levels as Clayton McMillan finds his feet as Munster coach. At 25, the Cork man should have a good 10 years at the top level ahead of him.
A bad run of games doesn’t mean one player is suddenly vastly superior to the other, but it’s also true that the picture can quickly shift. This time last year, Crowley was the Six Nations winner who had finally emerged from the shadow of Sexton and was ready to lead Ireland through the autumn internationals. By the time that window came to a close Prendergast had emerged as the man who would be king as the out-half story took another unexpected swing.
The end result was that both players had decent seasons where they played some excellent rugby alongside bad days at the office and more sustained dips in form, and it’s hard to imagine the outside noise didn’t play some part in knocking their confidence at different stages. At the end of it all, Farrell decided to leave both out of his Lions squad for the summer tour to Australia, something he surely hadn’t envisioned when he first sat down to map out the year. Crowley always looked a long shot for the Lions after November but having been Ireland’s starting 10 across the Six Nations, Prendergast must have been deeply disappointed to see three English out-halves and one Scot make the cut ahead of him.
While all that was happening, Ciarán Frawley slipped out of view. Having been the hero of Ireland’s 2024 tour to South Africa, a poor cameo against New Zealand last November proved damaging. Frawley came off the bench against Fiji and was on Ireland A duty in the Six Nations, before featuring as a replacement on the summer tour against Portugal. Since the 2024 November internationals, Frawley has started just three games at 10 for Leinster.
So while one versus two remains the central debate, so does Farrell’s third option at out-half. That picture should become clearer once Farrell names his squad for the November games today.
Crowley and Prendergast will both feel they could do with a big performance ahead of that opening November clash with New Zealand, as Farrell’s management of the 10 succession planning should keep everyone on their toes.
Prendergast might look at some of the 10s who went before him and take note of how swiftly they were dropped. Farrell lost faith in Joey Carbery after a bad game in November a year out from the 2023 World Cup and was quick to demote Crowley despite his previously impressive body of work in green.
It’s not unreasonable to imagine Farrell being similarly ruthless should Prendergast fail to make the necessary improvements around the defensive side of his game. That would perhaps trigger the point where social media finally implodes.
Debate around who should be Farrell’s man at 10 is expected, but we can only hope this season doesn’t descend toward some of the nastier social media commentary we saw across 2024/25.
The current state of play sees Crowley going well in a Munster team that have won three from three without shooting the lights out. Prendergast has been less convincing across two outings on Leinster’s challenging tour to South Africa. Neither outstanding, neither atrocious.
Leinster attack coach Tyler Bleyendaal acknowledges Prendergast’s start to the season has not been as smooth as the player would like, while also highlighting it’s still early days in terms of the new campaign.
“Mixed, I think. I think he still shows that attacking flair, and he’s putting effort in his defence, and he works hard in the backfield, all of those things. So for him, it’s just about time in the saddle. He came in a couple of matches, in then off again, and now he’s back again. So for himself, he’s trying to put a continuity and build the combinations.
But he’s applied himself well, and I think he’s got a very exciting ceiling. I don’t think we’re anywhere near it yet, but he’s obviously showed so much already.
“So hopefully the guys around him get him some good go-forward ball and a nice platform to attack with (v Munster).”
Harry Byrne will also hope to have a say this time around, and while the road back into Farrell’s thinking looks challenging, it’s not that long since he was the young hotshot at the centre of the out-half hype. After an encouraging loan spell at Bristol Bears, Byrne Jr, now 26, should get plenty of gametime with Leinster given older brother Ross is out of the picture, moving to Gloucester having grown frustrated with his own role at Leinster.
Harry Byrne impressed against the Sharks. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Harry looked reinvigorated as he made his first start of the season against the Sharks, and Bleyendaal has been encouraged by the early signs since he returned from England.
“I think it was probably quite refreshing for him,” Bleyendaal says. “He’s just come back and he’s a good frame of mind. He’s been training (well), I thought he played quite well on the weekend.
“He’s probably obviously ahead (of Prendergast) in just experience and maturity-wise. He’s great during the week, the way he can help develop the plays, he gets the understanding across to the group, play calling and all that. And like you see, his kicking and passing game is very nice to watch and it would be nice to play with, I’d imagine.
“Again, I don’t think he’s the finished product, which is exciting, so we’ve got to try and challenge him and grow him more. He took the line on a couple of times and threw some nice passes to guys in space. That’s ultimately what you want from your 10s.”
Other contenders will emerge, but all Prendergast and Crowley can do is stick to the boring old cliché of focusing on themselves. Neither player is the finished article but both will have important roles to play for Ireland over the coming years.
And maybe our own expectations should be readjusted. O’Gara and Sexton were two of the greatest players this island has ever produced, one generational talent eventually ousting another. The odds are against Prendergast or Crowley having the same era-defining hold on the position. Who knows, maybe even a healthy, competitive rivalry can prove more fruitful than having one clearly defined and anointed first-choice out-half.
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The Prendergast v Crowley circus rolls into town for another season
IN AN IDEAL world, maybe we’d all just leave Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley alone and let them fulfil their potential away from the glare of the spotlight. Ban their names from headlines for the next few seasons. Shame any journalist who asks one player about the other in press conferences. Unsubscribe from any publication or podcast which has the audacity to compare one of these talented young out-halves to their direct rival.
Yet the world is not an ideal place, and so the two most-talked about players in Irish rugby will remain the two most-talked about players in Irish rugby as we dive into another season of discourse focused on the most crucial position in the Ireland team.
Nice and early into the new campaign, Munster’s trip to Croke Park this weekend has swiftly placed the Ireland out-half battle front and centre. Two weeks out from Ireland’s Chicago date with the All Blacks, how could we not make it about the 10s?
While the Leinster-Munster rivalry itself should be enough to shift tickets, Crowley v Prendergast is the selling point around which the latest edition of this famed fixture is being framed. And you can’t place the blame solely on those who write and talk about the game for a living – just look through the social media accounts of those tasked with putting bums on seats.
Earlier this month, Leinster posted an advertisement for the fixture titled: ‘Time deepens all rivalries’ – the text accompanied by pictures of Prendergast and Crowley in their provincial colours. The URC followed suit this week, using the same caption, but adding pictures of Johnny Sexton and Ronan O’Gara under the current Leinster and Munster 10s to really ram home the point. In case you weren’t aware, this isn’t just another URC game, it’s the latest episode of Succession: Ireland 10.
Of course, it’s perfectly fine to be relishing their expected face-off this weekend. The November internationals are just around the corner and Saturday’s game is shaping up to be the first time Crowley and Prendergast go toe-to-toe against each other away from the training pitch.
It’s an opportunity to lay down an important marker before heading into Ireland camp, but unless one of the two decides to bark in the other’s face à la Sexton v O’Gara, it’s just that. Nothing more, nothing less.
However November unfolds and no matter who ends the month as Ireland’s starting 10, unless one of the two suffers a serious drop off we’ll be having the same conversations about Prendergast and Crowley when they get back to their provinces for Champions Cup action in December and January, throughout the Six Nations, and across the closing months of the URC and Champions Cup.
And it’s entirely possible the picture continues to shift as two talented players continue to develop over the coming months and years. At just 22, Prendergast is far from having all the boxes ticked but there is a reason Andy Farrell has shown so much faith in him and put all those Test minutes in his legs. Crowley too will feel he can bring his game to new levels as Clayton McMillan finds his feet as Munster coach. At 25, the Cork man should have a good 10 years at the top level ahead of him.
A bad run of games doesn’t mean one player is suddenly vastly superior to the other, but it’s also true that the picture can quickly shift. This time last year, Crowley was the Six Nations winner who had finally emerged from the shadow of Sexton and was ready to lead Ireland through the autumn internationals. By the time that window came to a close Prendergast had emerged as the man who would be king as the out-half story took another unexpected swing.
The end result was that both players had decent seasons where they played some excellent rugby alongside bad days at the office and more sustained dips in form, and it’s hard to imagine the outside noise didn’t play some part in knocking their confidence at different stages. At the end of it all, Farrell decided to leave both out of his Lions squad for the summer tour to Australia, something he surely hadn’t envisioned when he first sat down to map out the year. Crowley always looked a long shot for the Lions after November but having been Ireland’s starting 10 across the Six Nations, Prendergast must have been deeply disappointed to see three English out-halves and one Scot make the cut ahead of him.
While all that was happening, Ciarán Frawley slipped out of view. Having been the hero of Ireland’s 2024 tour to South Africa, a poor cameo against New Zealand last November proved damaging. Frawley came off the bench against Fiji and was on Ireland A duty in the Six Nations, before featuring as a replacement on the summer tour against Portugal. Since the 2024 November internationals, Frawley has started just three games at 10 for Leinster.
So while one versus two remains the central debate, so does Farrell’s third option at out-half. That picture should become clearer once Farrell names his squad for the November games today.
Crowley and Prendergast will both feel they could do with a big performance ahead of that opening November clash with New Zealand, as Farrell’s management of the 10 succession planning should keep everyone on their toes.
Prendergast might look at some of the 10s who went before him and take note of how swiftly they were dropped. Farrell lost faith in Joey Carbery after a bad game in November a year out from the 2023 World Cup and was quick to demote Crowley despite his previously impressive body of work in green.
It’s not unreasonable to imagine Farrell being similarly ruthless should Prendergast fail to make the necessary improvements around the defensive side of his game. That would perhaps trigger the point where social media finally implodes.
Debate around who should be Farrell’s man at 10 is expected, but we can only hope this season doesn’t descend toward some of the nastier social media commentary we saw across 2024/25.
The current state of play sees Crowley going well in a Munster team that have won three from three without shooting the lights out. Prendergast has been less convincing across two outings on Leinster’s challenging tour to South Africa. Neither outstanding, neither atrocious.
Leinster attack coach Tyler Bleyendaal acknowledges Prendergast’s start to the season has not been as smooth as the player would like, while also highlighting it’s still early days in terms of the new campaign.
“Mixed, I think. I think he still shows that attacking flair, and he’s putting effort in his defence, and he works hard in the backfield, all of those things. So for him, it’s just about time in the saddle. He came in a couple of matches, in then off again, and now he’s back again. So for himself, he’s trying to put a continuity and build the combinations.
“So hopefully the guys around him get him some good go-forward ball and a nice platform to attack with (v Munster).”
Harry Byrne will also hope to have a say this time around, and while the road back into Farrell’s thinking looks challenging, it’s not that long since he was the young hotshot at the centre of the out-half hype. After an encouraging loan spell at Bristol Bears, Byrne Jr, now 26, should get plenty of gametime with Leinster given older brother Ross is out of the picture, moving to Gloucester having grown frustrated with his own role at Leinster.
Harry looked reinvigorated as he made his first start of the season against the Sharks, and Bleyendaal has been encouraged by the early signs since he returned from England.
“I think it was probably quite refreshing for him,” Bleyendaal says. “He’s just come back and he’s a good frame of mind. He’s been training (well), I thought he played quite well on the weekend.
“He’s probably obviously ahead (of Prendergast) in just experience and maturity-wise. He’s great during the week, the way he can help develop the plays, he gets the understanding across to the group, play calling and all that. And like you see, his kicking and passing game is very nice to watch and it would be nice to play with, I’d imagine.
“Again, I don’t think he’s the finished product, which is exciting, so we’ve got to try and challenge him and grow him more. He took the line on a couple of times and threw some nice passes to guys in space. That’s ultimately what you want from your 10s.”
Other contenders will emerge, but all Prendergast and Crowley can do is stick to the boring old cliché of focusing on themselves. Neither player is the finished article but both will have important roles to play for Ireland over the coming years.
And maybe our own expectations should be readjusted. O’Gara and Sexton were two of the greatest players this island has ever produced, one generational talent eventually ousting another. The odds are against Prendergast or Crowley having the same era-defining hold on the position. Who knows, maybe even a healthy, competitive rivalry can prove more fruitful than having one clearly defined and anointed first-choice out-half.
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