WITH THE AVIVA Stadium unavailable today due to the Ireland football team’s Nations League meeting with Finland, Andy Farrell’s rugby squad relocated to UCD for their Captain’s Run ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Argentina.

After training and posing for the usual team photoshoot at the UCD Bowl, Caelan Doris made his way to the nearby Student Centre and took a seat in the cosy surroundings of the campus cinema, where he talked up the talent of Ireland’s latest rising star.

Twenty-one-year-old Sam Prendergast is primed to make his Test debut against the Pumas, a huge step for a player with just eight starts at provincial level to his name.

Doris has watched the out-half’s development up close at Leinster and has no doubt the Kildare native is ready for international rugby.

“He’s an unbelievable player,” said Doris.

Some of the things he does in training, it’s pretty unique. He’s probably one of the most skillful guys I’ve come across.

“He can pull a rabbit out of a hat but he’s also calmer and making the right decisions a little bit now and playing what’s in front of him and not always trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat, even though he’s got that capability.

“He’s finding the balance there in terms of controlling a game, making the right decisions, bringing the best out of other people but also capable of a bit of magic. The message to him has been be himself and do his thing during the week and I’m excited to see what he does tomorrow.”

Prendergast is one of four fresh faces on the Ireland bench, with Ryan Baird, Craig Casey and uncapped tighthead Thomas Clarkson also coming into the matchday 23. Otherwise it’s more or less as you were from last Friday’s defeat to New Zealand, with Robbie Henshaw replacing Bundee Aki in the only change to the starting 15.

“Off the back of a loss like that, there’s obviously a lot of frustration and disappointment,” said Doris.

“And it definitely dictates the mood personally but also amongst the group for a couple of days and we kind of felt that linger that a little bit on Sunday and Monday, which is natural given what it means for this team and for us as individuals to represent the country.

“I think a bit of that is natural but we turned the page pretty well on Sunday evening and Monday and we had a good training week with some very good sessions in there. Today went well as well so the mood is good now, there’s a lot of excitement about tomorrow.

“We know that Argentina are a proper team and a proper Test and they’ve shown that with some of their wins over the year and their development under Felipe [Contepomi].

“They’ve obviously been a top-class team for the last number of years, being in three of the last four World Cup semi-finals but I think they’ve gone up to another level under Felipe so we’re definitely aware that it’s going to be a big challenge but there’s also excitement at being back in the Aviva to get back to ourselves, because we felt we weren’t ourselves last Friday.”