21-YEAR-OLD out-half Sam Prendergast is set to make his Six Nations debut in Ireland’s starting XV to face England on Saturday in Dublin [KO 4.45pm, Virgin Media].
Prendergast started Ireland’s last two games of the November series against Fiji and Australia and looks likely to continue in the number 10 shirt for this weekend’s championship opener against the English.
Jack Crowley, who was the starting out-half as Ireland won the Six Nations last year, delivered an excellent performance for Munster against Northampton two weekends ago to give interim head coach Simon Easterby a reminder of his quality.
But Ireland are set to continue with the highly talented Prendergast as the starter given his own fine form for Leinster, with Crowley likely to be asked to impact off the bench as he did last time out against the Wallabies.
A Six Nations debut and first start in the championship would be the latest step of progress in Prendergast’s swift rise, with the Kildare man having played for the Ireland U20s as recently as the summer of 2023.
Prendergast is expected to partner Jamison Gibson-Park in the halfbacks against England, while other familiar Irish backs such as Bundee Aki, James Lowe, and Hugo Keenan are also in line to start.
It appears that Mack Hansen could hold off the competition from Calvin Nash to start again on the right wing.
As ever, the Irish midfield has been difficult to pick but Aki’s physicality is expected to get him the nod and he is likely to be joined by either Garry Ringrose or Robbie Henshaw.
With Tadhg Furlong ruled out due to injury, Finlay Bealham is in line to start at tighthead prop in a front row that could also include Andrew Porter and Rónan Kelleher.
Having joined Ireland’s pre-Six Nations camp later than others, the fit-again Dan Sheehan may make his return off the bench against England.
The back five of the scrum is a highly competitive area, all the more so given that Ireland are thought to have been considering a return to the second row for Tadhg Beirne after using him at blindside flanker recently.
That would mean one of James Ryan or Joe McCarthy being used off the bench, while Easterby’s decision at blindside flanker will be intriguing if Beirne does not start there.
Jack Conan has returned to the squad in strong form after missing Ireland’s last two campaigns, while Peter O’Mahony is a highly experienced figure and lineout specialist. The explosive Ryan Baird, another who has put hard work into becoming a lineout expert, is another strong contender.
Whatever way the decisions go in the back five of the scrum, Ireland will have lots of quality to call on from the bench in that area, while Josh van der Flier and captain Caelan Doris bring excellent form in the starting back row.
Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, Conor Murray, and Crowley all seem likely to be included among the replacements, but the number 23 shirt is another one that is difficult to predict.
The versatile Jamie Osborne has been in excellent form, although Ireland could opt for whichever of their frontline centres – Aki, Ringrose, and Henshaw – misses out on the starting XV.
Ireland are due to name their matchday 23 at midday on Thursday.
Are they for real… He scored possibly the best header you will see at Wembley for a long time AGAINST England a few months ago!!!! Idiots
Our English brethren are a bit thick it seems.
Good on Shane for pulling the pi(s out of them,
Paul sling your hook. What a t#sser. What started off as a lighted hearted piece has turned into a bile laden rant. If you have nothing constructive to say Shane Long is coming into a bit of form and fair play to him. Did well with West Brom last year and is showing signs that he has that bit of drive needed if he is given the chance, a chance that sadly was never afforded to him by Trap and his cohorts with Mr Liam Brady included. Hopefully he can continue to score some goals as it will be of immense benefit to the Irish set up.
The best way is to flat out ignore these people, so no replies and no thumbs down or up. No reaction and they’ll go away. I wish everyone would learn that.
And to think there was a time when these guys practically took over the world….scary….
Eh….. I think the vast majority of them were on a wind up. No doubt 1 or 2 were serious but a lot of fishing involved i suspect
Ah Paul got caught out, we know he is Irish, though he proclaims he is from Chelski and English.
Paul is Mitch, Steo, John, the same troll from Finglas who supports a league of IReland team and Liverpool.
Lads just don’t answer her, spends her time trolling on all the soccer topics with no knowledge and no discussion. As has been proved by her posts above.
BLANK THE TROLL.
How does he remember all them passwords? Gotta be a commitment or the gobsheens accounts will be easy hacked.
Ah sure give Shay Given a shout while you’re at it. He can give Hart a hand :-)
hEART IS SHIT ENGLAND B OUT AFTER2GAMES MUST CHECK D ODDS ON TA
This is a regular twitter fish and reel gag. It’s been done with Ramsey(England) & Lewandowski(Germany) recently, can’t believe Long bit the bait.
Can’t understand how you’re not allowed to use every day words like ‘sh!t’ on the comments pages, yet imbeciles like pauljohnson are able to spread their own trolling sh!t across them!
Don’t reply anyway, he/she will go away eventually.
There must have been 60 or 70 Englishmen at least by now who have played for Ireland, about time England got 1 Irishman in return. And doesn’t the typical soccer ‘fan’ in this country only care about English teams anyway and couldn’t give a fiddlers about any Irish clubs, so one would think they would have no problem with any Irish fella playing for England.
“accounts”… so you accept that you have more than one account on here. Good to know.
If you haven’t been in this country in a month, so where are you now? You are in a country or are you hovering above a country?
You have commented on GAA stories, Dublin related ones, in the past and were passionate about Dublin then… so fail there.
You only said last week that your Chelsea through and through, but you support Liverpool as well… any real Chelsea fans I know wouldn’t give 2 fks who else was playing and only concerned with their own team. So you think United fans support Chelsea against Liverpool!!!!
Your found out, everyone on here knows it.
Steo is gone, the other 3 plums will be too. At least the Journal will be troll free then and we can have right discussions on here.
Agree hes in great form and its great to see and great for irish football. My only issue is R Keane. As long as he is there he will countinue to take th spot of an possible younger contender. Dont get me wrong keane has done more than enough for his country obiviously wit his record but its time to hang up th boots. Just my personal opinion. !
Good comment Katrina, I wouldn’t yet like Robbie to see hang up the shoes because I think he can help the like of Long with his experience.
Jrbmc. Your just a Clown bandwagoner.
@David. Is the article about Long coming into form? No it isn’t, it’s about people on twitter thinking he is English and saying he should get a call up to the English national team. I merely stated England have several better options.
TBH, Shane Longs record for West Brom hasn’t been that good since he joined them and made the step up the premier league from Reading. The fact that we’re more reliant on a 33yo Robbie Keane over a 26yo Shane Long is very telling for Ireland. Maybe Conor Sammon can step up under the new Manager IDK.
I don’t care about it. Doesn’t mean I don’t watch it. I watch all football nearly. Even when that foreign supported kip is playing (MANCHESTER) I will watch them. And to answer other questions, Crouch and Defoe don’t get into England as there is better options there, but if Shane Long was English he be behind them in pecking order. And Danny Welbeck is world class??? Haha, I never even suggested that, he is just like Long. Hard working headless chicken. And in answer to that other bloke, Berbatov scored most goals in premerleague one season, Rob Keane scored all them goals against the likes of the Faroe Islands.
Does Long play for Shitski ? NO ! Does he play for Engerrrrrrland ? NO ! So go away you FOOL !!!!
62 goals against Faroe Island.
D overrated shower of English players play d same teams and don’t exactly tot up d goals against them.
We see how well berbatov does without keane…
Saying crouch is better than long then your just another cocky English follower who doesn’t understand why they do shit at every major competition. It’s not rocket science it’s cos your shit
Yes in a friendly if I remember correctly. What he do to get you all to the world cup.?????
Trap rarely started him
English striker’s in a different league of talent to Shane long. 1, Wanye Rooney.2, Defoe.3, Sturridge. 4, Lambert.5, Peter crouch. If he was English he wouldn’t stand a chance getting into the England squad. He can’t get a start for Ireland when poor mans Berbatov is playing (Rob Keane).
Long scored against England at Wembley in a 1-1 draw that England was lucky to get!!!
Defoe? Peter Crouch? Two men that have rarely played in the PL this season for their teams. Pull your head out of your behind there Paul!!!
Crouch? When is the last time he lined up for England? Give your head a wobble there Paul, next you’ll be telling us Wellbeck is world class
Berbatov 48 international goals
“Poor mans” berbetov 62 international goals
I know who did rather have.
Need any help finding the plot there Paul?
Welbeck is world class!!!
Go home your drunk
Like the knowledgble England ‘fans’ in that tweet thread, we’re dealing with a clown here.
Talking about Roy Keane!
Excuse yourself old Lady. I have only Paul Johnson accounts. I haven’t being in this country in over a month. When I came back yesterday you all were talking about me more than the story. And why would I support a l.o.i team. Im from England, I am not like you, I wont support foreign citys football teams. It makes no sense to me, my family and my friends. And Liverpool is also a kip. The only time I ever support Liverpool is when there playing against that trash heap out of MANCHESTER.
You poor mixed up, misguided, mysoginist child. As Maris always says, “A good liar needs a good memory”. It appears your different “aliases” are overlapping and you have lost all sense of time and perspective. I can help you out son with some excellent Freudian based therapy, all you have to do is ask…..
Can somebody please send Paul for spelling and grammar lessons, whilst also performing his brain transplant, thanks
I forgot to mention I love men. I would love Shane long to touch me inappropriately . All he has to is ask…..
And last week I wasn’t in the country. I haven’t being in Ireland since middle of October. This is my work phone. I leave it in Ireland when I go home. Don’t come onto your site when not in your country. Clown!!!
I don’t care about Steo/Tom/Jack, any of your mates you keep talking about. Are you slow? Can you not read. I have other Paul Johnson accounts you clown. I had a Kerry jersey as my avatar commenting on g.a.a. I was pretending to be Kerry supporter, not Dublin, as there Irelands most successful team. I was jumping on the bandwagon and supporting a team of a city that has nothing to do with me. Kinda like every single MANCHESTER fan. And the only Chelsea fans you know are ones that have never being to the bridge, not from England and only start supporting Chelsea around 2006. Jump on the wagon there fast, its getting away. And you seem to think real fans don’t look at other team’s snd don’t care about other team’s? ??????? Clown!!! Stop watching football because you know little about it.
Quick Quick Paul the most interesting Chelsea story in months has been out up and it’s about,’Mourinho’s Hair cut’
Quick here’s your chance to post more fraud Moyes rubbish nonsense that Steo and his ‘buddies’ can respond to
LOL, thinkk Paul Johnson is getting frazzled,
It is interesting the fact I didn’t mention “jack” yet he is one of the accounts linked to Paul Johnson, so again it proves that he is.
Why would you have 2 accounts? Because you were shut down is it?
ANYWAY, as I have said to others, time to ignore the trolls like Paul, Steo, John and Jack. These stories would be about 1/2 the size less all the trolling.
Yes Y.A.L. he seems to be having a nervous breakdown, it is common among people with multiple personality syndrome. I have offered on numerous occasions to help him, all he has to do is ask….
Trap rarely started him because even Ireland has better options. Last night was one of the only times I seen him score in a competitive fixture. Hes not a striker. Other than last night he rarely finishes.
Paul you’ve said many times you don’t care about international football so why now ??? Did you forget ??? Or just get caught out again ???
How many times has crouch scored in past 2 years? Defoe?? Do you even watch football.
Did you forget he scored against Chelsea? Idiot
You mean you don’t remember his goal against Chelsea a few weeks ago?
Don’t want to enter the football debate, no real knowledge.
Also, the troll accusations, can’t be entirely sure.
But Paul, for a self proclaimed English man, you’re not very good at english.