Prendergast and Izuchukwu can begin to realise Ireland dreams in Bloemfontein
TALENTED: Cormac Izuchukwu during the Emerging Ireland captain’s run on Tuesday. Pic: ©INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Darren Stewart
A Wednesday autumn afternoon in what is likely to be an eerily empty Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein is not where dreams come true. It is where dreams can begin to be realised for Simon Easterby’s Emerging Ireland recruits.
Do the business there, and when called upon for the next two tour dates against the Western Force and the Cheetahs, and the chasm that is the jump between club rugby and the senior Test stage becomes much more makeable.
Six players did just that having played on the last such tour to South Africa two years ago. Joe McCarthy, Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley, Jamie Osborne, Cian Prendergast and Calvin Nash have since had decent runs in the most cherished green jersey of them all.
That sextet has already 47 caps combined. The flip side maybe is in those who made the trip having already been capped but haven’t since been able to fully convince Andy Farrell: Caolin Blade, Rob Baloucoune, Shane Daly and Max Deegan.
Deegan was handed the armband for that tour. Aged 25 at the time, and with one senior Ireland appearance under his belt, he looks back with fondness at the 2022 tour even as he continues to fight for game time in a crowded Leinster back row department.
“I thought it was great, I really enjoyed it. For my career at the time, it was… Obviously I ended up captain and that leadership role I thought was great. I brought that back into Leinster and I’ve been pushing on since then.
“I also thought it was good at the time because you’re in with the Ireland coaches, you’re in the Ireland set-up and then after that we got back and there are autumn internationals and I ended up getting in [to the senior squad for] Fiji.”
Deegan loved the idea of working under the gaze of the national coaching ticket, learning off them and building relationships with them. Easterby and his staff have gone on record to say that they want to see players who grasp this opportunity.
Two of those of particular interest against the Pumas will be Sam Prendergast at No.10 and back row Cormac Izuchukwu. Both travelled with the seniors to South Africa in the summer without playing. Fiji are back in Dublin in November, that should be their aim.
Prendergast has been identified as a man of special interest for a long time now. The hope is that the 21-year old’s education can be fast-tracked in the southern hemisphere where he will be expected to ‘lead’ the week’s preparations.
Munster’s Alex Kendellen will captain the side from the openside and is actually one of three former Ireland U20 skippers on the roster with provincial colleague Evan O’Connell and Leinster’s Gus McCarthy starting on the bench.
There is plenty of potential interest all over the line-up. Among them is Ben O’Connor, once one of Cork hurling’s great hopes, who will look to build on his five Munster caps to date with a strong showing at full-back.
Zac Ward brings another slightly leftfield story to the party having starred for Ireland’s sevens team at the Olympic Games in Paris a few short months ago while Ulster lock Harry Sheridan is another who will be expected to impress.
Easterby’s side will take on the Pumas at 3pm on Wednesday, before facing Western Force on Sunday, and completing their Toyota Challenge against the Cheetahs on Wednesday 9 October.
“The Pumas will present a real test, coming as it does in the first of three games in seven days,” said Easterby.
“They’re a physical team who have come off a competitive Currie Cup campaign.
“The three games will ask different questions of the group and that is exactly the kind of environment we want to foster and to see how the players react to a pressurised and competitive environment. We had a good pitch session on Monday afternoon and the players are itching to get out there.
"We will be managing our resources given the close proximity of the games and it’s a younger and less experienced group than the one that competed two years ago. But the talent, energy and enthusiasm of this group has been obvious over the course of the last six days. We’re delighted to be here in Bloemfontein and the squad is ready to get going."
The three-match series will be shown live on SuperSport and will be available on IrishRugby+ on www.irishrugby.ie
B O'Connor (Munster), R Russell, S O'Brien (Munster), H Gavin (Connacht), Zac Ward (Ulster/Ireland 7s), S Prendergast (Leinster), M Devine (Connacht); M Donnelly (Munster), S Smyth (Leinster), J Aungier (Connacht), H Sheridan (Ulster), D Murragh (Connacht), C Izuchukwu (Ulster), A Kendellen (Munster) (c), J Culhane (Leinster).
: G McCarthy (Leinster), A Usanov (Leinster), R Foxe (Munster), E O'Connell (Munster), S Jansen (Connacht), E Coughlan (Musnter), J Murphy (Ulster), J Postlethwaite (Ulster)
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
