WHEN PETE WILKINS felt the need to install a new captain at Connacht, he looked around his squad and felt the outstanding candidate was a 24-year-old who had arrived from a rival province just four years ago.
In many ways, Cian Prendergast is as Connacht as it gets. As Wilkins puts it, the Kildare man “is the embodiment of what we want to stand for this season.”
Like so many of this Connacht squad, Prendergast arrived as an outsider. Surplus to requirements at Leinster, the young Prendergast moved to Connacht in the summer of 2020 and quickly went about making his new surroundings feel like home. He was feisty, determined, and desperate for his chance.
By the end of his first season out west the young Prendergast had impressed in clocking up 10 appearances for his new team. The following year he took a massive step in his development, starting 20 games. In 2022/23 he became an Ireland international and last season was his strongest yet, bringing an attritional edge to the Connacht team as he shifted between the six and eight jerseys. He’s not the first man to see his career resurrected by a move to Galway.
His promotion to club captain feels like a natural step but when asked about the attributes required to be a good skipper, Prendergast momentarily struggles for an answer.
“I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about that question,” he says. “For me, it’s just about being authentic to myself, being who I truly am and living to my standards and hopefully that’s an example for the rest of the playing group and everyone who is associated with Connacht rugby.
In fairness to Pete, he said that you’re the captain because you are who you are.
“I have to focus on myself and be the best version of myself on game day, and be the best representation of the club I can be on game day.
“I wouldn’t describe it as a surprise [to be named captain], but I wouldn’t say I was expecting it.”
Prendergast takes over the role from Jack Carty, who Wilkins believes will be “freed up” by dropping the pressures of captaincy. And yet you get the sense those responsibilities won’t weigh heavily on Prendergast’s shoulders.
“I’ve got amazing people around me. I’ve got Pete as head coach, Willie [Ruane] as CEO, legends of the club like Eric Elwood who is just 20 metres away if I need a chat.
“Within the playing group, I’ve [vice-captains] Dave [Heffernan] and Joe [Joyce] and a strong leadership group with Finlay [Bealham], Paul [Boyle], Conor [Oliver] and those characters, and then a wealth of international experience with Bundee [Aki] and Santiago [Cordero] and Mack [Hansen].”
Prendergast will also take different bits from the captains he’s played under, both at Connacht and with Ireland.
“Jarrod [Butler], he was an incredible person first of all. He made the effort to build relationships with everyone around him and it wasn’t the fact he was captain, that was just the person who he was. It’s the ability to form connections, whether it’s a small inside joke, or a handshake with someone, the ability to do that.
“Jack [Carty] sums up everything Connacht rugby is. He sacrifices everything for this place, he lives and breathes this place. And I’m just fortunate to have those people before me going into this job.”
It’s a significant season for Connacht, with last year petering out to a disappointing end. In Wilkins’ first campaign as head coach, the province struggled for consistency and had some issues with their defence as they slipped to an 11th place finish in the URC, missing out on the playoffs.
Getting to the knockouts will be the minimum goal this time around and it was interesting to hear Wilkins speak about a need to improve the culture around the squad earlier this week. As captain, Prendergast will be tasked with leading that shift, and it starts with a difficult URC opener away to Munster tomorrow [KO 5.30pm, RTÉ/Premier Sports].
“I think it’s just about continuing to evolve and continuing to get better every week,” Prendergast says.
“Every team in the URC is searching for consistency to move in the right direction. For us, it’s just about nailing our context week-to-week, every day coming in and trying to get better and becoming more connected as a group. The results should show on a Saturday or a Friday night.
“Regardless of who you’re playing it’s always going to be tough at the start of the season. Thomond Park, an interpro, it’s always a high level of emotion, but what we’re trying to do is bring the best version of ourselves and show the work that we’ve put in in pre-season.”
