SAM PRENDERGAST FINDS himself at the centre of a tug-of-war between Leinster and Connacht so tonight’s URC interpro at the RDS [KO 7.35pm, TG4] offers the young out-half a timely opportunity to showcase why he’s in high demand.
There is much excitement in Leinster around the 21-year-old’s potential. Prendergast joined the Leinster Academy in the summer of 2022 and earned a swift promotion to the senior squad just one year later.
Tonight will be his 15th appearance of the season but just his fourth start, with the log-jam of out-halves at Leinster leaving opportunites hard-earned.
With the IRFU also keen to see Prendergast kick on, the Kildare native is currently considering a loan switch to Connacht next season – where he would join older brother Cian in Pete Wilkins’ squad. Earlier this week Leinster coach Jacques Nienaber confirmed discussions are ongoing, outlining that the IRFU, Leinster and Prendergast himself will all have a say in the decision.
Prendergast is a skilful, highly promising prospect and it all adds a fascinating twist to tonight’s RDS encounter. A big performance will both highlight why he could benefit from more regular gametime with Connacht while also underlining why Leinster want to keep him around.
Otherwise you suspect the Leinster squad will be just happy to get this game out of the way. The mood around the squad was understandably low earlier this week as they picked through the pieces of another Champions Cup final defeat, but a refreshed matchday 23 should bring energy to this final game of the regular season.
Leinster already have a home quarter-final secured but can still make the top two if results go their way.
And there are other motivations tonight. This will be the last game at the RDS before the stadium undergoes a welcome renovation and it could also well be Rhys Ruddock’s last game in Leinster blue. The long-serving backrower will retire at the end of the season and might not feature in the knockout rounds, so the squad have spoken about sending Ruddock off on a high tonight as he prepares to fully immerse himself in the world of coaching.
Connacht could spring an upset, but there has been a limp feeling to their season run-in. They were surprisingly flat when they needed to get a result away to Munster and followed that with a home defeat to the Stormers which probably killed their play-off hopes.
Wilkins’ side sit 10th on 45 points and need a winning bonus point tonight if they are to stay in the conversation over the weekend, where they would also need an unlikely run of results to fall in their favour.
A first start for Santiago Cordero could offer a glimpse of what’s to come next season after his injury struggles, while there’s also a debut for Academy wing Shane Mallon.
Yet if Leinster have their heads right this should be a home win. Even with so many changes, this is a strong Leinster team and the selection of Ciarán Frawley at inside centre is one to watch. Like Prendergast, Frawley is also keen for minutes at 10 and looked sharp after replacing Ross Byrne in London last week.
Leinster so often pull away during the second half of games at the RDS and this one has that feeling about it, with the province naming a formidable bench.
Even if Connacht are right in the fight after the break, the quality of Dan Sheehan, Ryan Baird, Max Deegan and Charlie Ngatai coming in after half-time should steer the home side over the line.
LEINSTER: Jimmy O’Brien; Tommy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, Ciarán Frawley, Rob Russell; Sam Prendergast, Cormac Foley; Ed Byrne, Rónan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson; Ross Molony, Brian Deeny; Rhys Ruddock, Scott Penny, (capt), Jack Conan.
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Michael Milne, Michael Ala’alatoa, Ryan Baird, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Harry Byrne, Charlie Ngatai.
CONNACHT: Santiago Cordero; Shane Jennings, David Hawkshaw, Cathal Forde, Shane Mallon; Jack Carty (capt), Caolin Blade; Peter Dooley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Joe Joyce, Niall Murray; Cian Prendergast, Conor Oliver, Sean Jansen.
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Denis Buckley, Jack Aungier, Darragh Murray, Seán O’Brien, Colm Reilly, Byron Ralston, Tom Daly
Referee: Chris Busby [IRFU].
Gleeson needs to grow a few more brain cells and quit launching crazy needless long range shots, other than that he has to potential to emulate Ken McGrath, and that’s saying a lot
Put what Gleeson has been doing in context of a Waterford side who half the time had no one in the final third. I don’t think there’s been a more skilful and impressive player than Austin gleeson this year.
James
He needs to mature, there were times against Kilkenny in both matches were he took on way too much, he has the ability to be the best player in the country and if he adjusts this flaw he will be, however he is not quite there yet.
Totally agree he needs to mature. That wasn’t my point. My point is that I think he’s been the most skilful player this year.
Dunno about skill per se, he’s an unbelievable athlete and serious fielder of the ball with a super engine but Callanan’s point yesterday where he took the ball down with the hurley was the skill-laden cherry on top of an all round display
James watch Gleason’s performance against Wexford. I have never seen a player hit so many balls into the middle of nowhere and racking up wides like they were gone out of fashion. To a lesser extent he was like that in every match this year so while exception at times someone who was so wasteful and reckless at times does not deserve player of the year.
It will be callinan or p maher(wing back)
When was the last time a player who didn’t play in the final get player of the year
2007, Dan shanahan,
Remember it now. He scored a heap that year
Can we call a spade a spade here and realise that callanan before the final was very inconsistent. Definitely incredible in the final, definitely man of the match but definitely not player of the year.
Seamie all day. He has consistently been the most dangerous and effective scorer in the country for the last 3 seasons. Given enough service he is essentially unplayable, even on the rare quiet days like the Galway semi he still provides a focal point for the attack and a telling contribution in winning the game. Factor that almost every other team in country ,with the exception of KK, essentially tailor their game plan to stopping him, sometimes putting 2/3 players on him.
Never read such spoof in my life. There’s literally nothing factual in your comment.
Actually most of what he said was right, me thinks it’s you that’s doing the spoofing
Lads there’s an article down a couple scrolls about callanan being inconsistent!
While he was inconsistent in his early career, he was unfairly marginalised during Dec Ryan’s tenure, and in the last 3 seasons as a regular starter he has been the most devastating forward in the country in Championship proper (fact). The scoring statistics back this up, his nearest rivals TJ and Joe Show have been their teams free takers during this period, a role Seamie has only held intermittently. Cork, Limerick, Waterford detailed sweepers to play directly in front of him (fact), and anyone with eyes could see Daiti Burke was stuck to him in a semi (a great performance by Burke) even at the expense of ignoring the general play at times.
Has to be Callahan. Unplayable this year in fairness . We could not handle him in final and maybe no changes were made to halt him was because we had no one to handle on the field or on the bench .
Callanan
Wouldn’t say he was unplayable this year, Daithi Burke did a good job on him in the semi final
He still got the key play in, which was the pass for the goal, that won the day
Incidentally Austin Gleesons temperament is very suspect no one can question his ability but could and should have been sent off in both munster finals against tipp
Padraic Maher… the big hits, the physical fitness, the classy points, the last ditch tackles… made dung of canning with that shoulder, HOTY all day long boys
Wel call a spade a spade james nobody and i mean nobody has the scoring record from play of Seamie Callinan not T.j reid not Richie Hogan hes averaged 5 points from play this season and if you take the Galway match out of it where there was 2 men on him at all times its even more impressive. How in the name of god do you call that inconsistant… even against galway which he was carrying an injury into he still nailed all his frees and set up a peach of a goal
Callinan was not double marked against Galway. Daithi Burke was the only player marking him. Aidan Harte was sweeping across the full back line but was not double marking Callinan.
Seamus Callanan will win it well but Brendan Maher has put in some heroic shifts this year and deserves a lot of credit
154 votes for Hogan? Are you well at all.
Callanan for me.To score 9 points from play in an All Ireland final is special even if KK were poor on the day .
Gleeson will win it soon though.
In 20 years 13 forwards 5 backs and 2 middle of the field. It will be a forward scores win matches simple!
How could Austin get it didn’t touch a ball in munster final