Captain Alex Kendellen admits there's scope for improvement after opening victory over Pumas

Team captain Kendellen after the game which Emerging Ireland won 36-24

While he acknowledged there is scope for improvement, team captain Alex Kendellen was pleased that Emerging Ireland were able to begin their Tour of South Africa in winning style against Airlink Pumas at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.

One of the most experienced players in the squad with 69 senior appearances already under his belt at Munster, Cork native Kendellen played the opening 51 minutes of a game that ended 36-24 in favour of the touring side. Even though Pumas crossed the whitewash on four occasions over the course of the action, a six-try haul – including a first half effort from Kendellen’s back-row colleague Cormac Izuchukwu – ensured Simon Easterby’s men had the measure of the Currie Cup outfit.

Emerging Ireland are also set to face Western Force and The Cheetahs this Sunday (October 6) and next Wednesday (October 9) respectively during their spell in the southern hemisphere. Though they will present their own challenges, Kendellen felt their game against Pumas has allowed Emerging Ireland to develop a level of cohesion that he hopes can serve them well in those upcoming encounters.

“There’s always going to be work ons. We came together last week and we just talked about making connections on and off the pitch. We showed some good things out there. We’ll review that and we’ll get back to it next week,” Kendellen said in a post-match TV interview from Bloemfontein that was also broadcast on the new Irish Rugby + streaming service.

“It was a good game. We talked about building connections on and off the pitch. I think we showed glimpses of that today. It’s good to get the win. I think we saw a few good performances out there and I really enjoyed it.

“I think there is a good group there. We’re building nicely and there’s some nice connections in there. You look at the likes of Sam Prendergast, who is leading us around the park. It’s great to play with players like that and players from other provinces, which is great as well.”