With one game remaining, Ireland have enjoyed a modest start to their Autumn Nations Series, beating both Argentina and Fiji but coming up well short of New Zealand.
Although Ireland's subpar performance versus the All Blacks had crisis sirens beginning to sound, Farrell's men have gradually improved throughout the series, hobbling over the line against Argentina before emphatically hammering Fiji.
While Ireland's overall performances may not have lived up to expectations, the introduction of a new generation of youngsters proved very promising. Chief among those youngsters was Sam Prendergast who entered the race to be Johnny Sexton's successor with a bang, putting both Ciaran Frawley and Jack Crowley on notice with his sensational performance versus Fiji.
Andy Farrell felt confident putting his trust in the Irish 21-year-old, offering him his first start in green just a single week after making his Ireland debut v Argentina. However, where Farrell has trusted the youngster into the deep end, some, including Leo Cullen are yet to deem Prendergast ready for a starting position.
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26 November 2024; Head coach Andy Farrell in conversation with Sam Prendergast during an Ireland Rugby training session at the IRFU High Performance Centre in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Shane Horgan feels Prendergast debate will define Simon Easterby's tenure
A concern that Irish legend Shane Horgan also felt might be shared by Simon Easterby upon Andy Farrell's departure for the Lions Tour next week.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad, The Rugby, Horgan was in little doubt that Prendergast was becoming Andy Farrell's go-to-man, claiming the Irish coach spoke about him like he was his son.
However, Horgan was less certain that Easterby would feel the same way, claiming that the new Ireland coach's out-half decision will define what Ireland look like in the absence of Andy Farrell.
What’s interesting is how Simon Easterby sees this.. If it’s a joint plan they’re all aligned with then fine, but maybe it’s not slightly. Maybe the big question here and how it might be answered is, what happens at ten.
It looks from the outside that Farrell is backing Prendergast or close to it…how he speaks about Prendergast is like how he’d speak about his son.
Is that shared by Easterby? And how will Prendergast be promoted otherwise in the Six Nations.
Farrell might make a big call with someone like Prendergast at ten for the opening game of the Six Nations and he wouldn't be questioned on it because he’s Farrell. That is slightly more difficult for Easterby I think.
You can check out Horgan's comments at 30:30 minutes here:
Shane Horgan's point is one that will resonate with a lot of people who feel that while having great potential, Sam Prendergast's fast-tracked journey to the Ireland number ten jersey might be somewhat premature.
While the direction Simon Easterby takes this Ireland team could impact Prenergast's immediate future in green, the 21-year-old will also need to convince Leo Cullen that he's deserving of more game-time in Leinster.
Just how Ireland will look in their Andy Farrell sabbatical era is yet to be seen, but Simon Easterby will have a number of big calls to make if he's to put his own unique stamp on the Ireland role come February.
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