Cian Prendergast on his road from Damascus to World Cup hopeful

As a child Prendergast spent time living in Syria when his dad Mark, now a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Defence Forces, was based there with the UN

HOPEFUL: Cian Prendergast during an Ireland training session. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

One Prendergast has played a key part in an Irish World Cup campaign this year. The hope is that another will get to put his shoulder to the wheel when Andy Farrell’s squad takes aim at the biggest prize of all in France.

Richie Murphy’s side fell one hurdle short of the title in the U20s version in South Africa but the side won an enormous amount of respect for the way in which they conducted themselves on and off the field of play.

The tragic passing of two Irish youngsters in Greece while the tournament was being played was felt keenly by the squad given the many mutual links via St Michael’s in Dublin. So too, obviously, was the death in Cape Town of Greig Oliver whose son Jack was part of the panel.

Ireland, after consultation with their young players, ultimately decided to go ahead with their last group fixture, against Fiji, and Sam Prendergast played a key role in dragging them over the line after his introduction on 49 minutes.

“That week of that Fiji game I was probably the most proud I've ever been of him, watching him come on against Fiji when the tide was going a little bit against them,” said his older brother and Connacht back row Cian.

“You could see that the game could go either way and he kind of dealt with it quite maturely and just watching him grow as a person and then ultimately they went on to beat South Africa in the semi-final, the host nation.

"Yeah, just incredibly proud. At the same time very, very nervous. Like, I don't enjoy watching those games that much. I think I know how my parents feel now. It's funny to be on that side of the fence.” 

It will be Sam’s turn to feel the nerves in the weeks to come as Cian goes about the task of trying to secure his place on the plane to France and a clean bill of health announced on Monday by the IRFU only reiterates the keen competition for berths.

Munster’s Gavin Coombes is probably in the same position as Prendergast in that, while the back rows have been in and around various Irish representative teams this last year or so, they still have only three Test caps between them.

Coombes impressed in Munster’s URC title-winning run after falling out of favour with Andy Farrell earlier in the campaign and both candidates will be hoping to avail of an audition this coming week when Italy come to town for the first World Cup warm-up.

Each has their strengths. James Ryan has described Prendergast as an aggressive forward with a robust style of play, an option on both sides of the ball and at the lineout. A man with a “big ceiling”, Ryan said and Prendergast can see he has made progress already.

“A tremendous amount. At times you don't think you are but then you look back at the player you were a year, a year-and-a-half ago and you go, 'geez, I'm very bang average back then'. Yeah, just the constant exposure to the environment, what's demanded of you here.” 

It’s been quite the journey just to get this far.

Prendergast is a Kildare man who came through the Newbridge College system but there was a stint as a child spent living in Syria when his dad Mark, now a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Defence Forces, was based there with the UN.

Diarmuid Mangan, who captained the U20s in that Fiji game, was “a few doors up the road in Damascus”. Other connections were made with children from Australia, New Zealand and more besides. Holidays were taken in Jordan and Lebanon.

“We drove home from Syria. We bought a car and dad drove from Syria to Turkey, through Greece, Italy and France and got the boat home. That was pretty cool, over two or three weeks. We got to see a lot of cool places.”

Connacht has been home since 2020 but, if the digs have changed over time, then the idea of a World Cup has been constant. His first memory of the tournament is Ireland’s win against Australia in 2011 and he has harboured similar ambitions ever since.

“Even at 11 years old you know something special is happening and seeing your parents’ reaction is great. Getting the opportunity to be part of something like that and hopefully be part of an Irish team which does something really special would be a dream come true.”