Andy Farrell has backed Sam Prendergast to respond after being dropped from Ireland's matchday squad for Saturday's Six Nations clash against England at Twickenham. The 23-year-old fly-half was left out following a difficult outing in last weekend's tense 20-13 victory over Italy.
Jack Crowley will start in the number 10 shirt for the third-round fixture, with Ciaran Frawley providing cover from the bench. Prendergast, who had started six of Ireland's previous seven Six Nations matches, has been overlooked for a matchday 23 in the championship for the first time.
Addressing the decision, Farrell told a press conference: "Sam's a fantastic international player. He's on a journey that's obviously learning like all of us. That will never stop. It's the same for Ciaran Frawley." The head coach added that neither of his leading fly-halves had been in particularly good form coming into camp, saying: "I think the two lads probably came into camp, I think they've probably been in better form. I'm not saying they were in bad form, but you see during training which way that you're going to go through performance."
Crowley, who played every minute of Ireland's triumphant 2024 Six Nations campaign, has only started once in the tournament since Prendergast made his Test debut in November. The 26-year-old will partner recalled scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park as part of five personnel changes, with Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne and Josh van der Flier also returning.
Explaining Crowley's selection, Farrell said: "Because of what we've seen and how he's come through and performed and playing confidently. I suppose sometimes you see people come from the back, have nothing to lose and then just rip in." He drew parallels with James Ryan's impact after missing out on the starting XV for the France match.
Frawley, who last featured for Ireland in the summer's 106-7 demolition of Portugal, is poised to win his 10th cap. "He's 100 per cent excited," Farrell said. "He's been certainly frustrated with the lack of game time, certainly in the autumn. From what we've seen in training, how sharp he is and how eager he is to get going and the balance that he gives us on the bench, he'll be ready to go."
