Elation and frustration: Mixed nights for Leinster's Ireland debutants Clarkson and Prendergast
NIGHT TO REMEMBER: Ireland's Sam Prendergast and Thomas Clarkson after making their debuts against Argentina. Picture: ©INPHO/Billy Stickland
As Test debuts go, winning a scrum penalty soon after you have come off the bench for a first taste of life as an Ireland prop was pretty much as good as it could get for Thomas Clarkson.
The 24-year-old’s moment in the sun capped a dream night for the Leinster and former Ireland Under-20 front-rower as his side held on for a 22-19 victory over Argentina at Aviva Stadium last Friday night.
It was a classic example of a player grabbing an unexpected opportunity with both hands as in the absence of injured fellow tighthead props Tadhg Furlong and Tom O’Toole, Clarkson stepped into the breach behind Finlay Bealham for a first cap he had not envisioned a little more than two weeks earlier.
He had been one of five uncapped training panellists called up by head coach Andy Farrell to join his squad’s warm-weather training camp on Portugal’s Algarve ahead of the Autumn Nations Series opener against New Zealand. Initially retained on Ireland’s return to Dublin with first-choice Furlong nursing a hamstring strain, Clarkson’s hopes of a debut were enhanced when O’Toole sustained a head knock minutes after replacing Bealham in the loss to the All Blacks.
It was Clarkson who was next up for the bench role against Argentina and after an initial foray into the fray as a front-row replacement when Josh van der Flier was withdrawn during Bealham’s early sin-binning, the debutant was given 28 minutes of the second half to showcase his potential.
"I wasn't supposed to be kept on after Portugal so to be kept on and end up playing it was a bit crazy. Obviously delighted and obviously incredibly grateful to the staff that they put a bit of trust in me. It was a great day for me and my family and everyone else.
"It was a bit surreal, like coming out for the anthem, it hadn't been that full for the warm up and then coming out and the fact it was dark as well so that added an extra bit, it was cool.
"I had a big family here for the day, I think it was 10, so it was class.”
Clarkson was modest about receiving the plaudits from team-mates for Ireland’s scrum penalty success against the Pumas.
"Bit unwarranted I think! Everyone's involved. To come on, scrums hadn't necessarily been going that well during the week, so it was just about trying to make it work on the day and thank God it did.”
Clarkson described the Irish dressing room post-match as being a mixture of relief and pleasure, and not just at the chance to celebrate his own and Sam Prendergast’s debuts plus a record-equalling 133rd cap for fellow prop replacement Cian Healy.
Ireland had successfully rebounded from the previous week’s defeat and the Test rookie revealed the head coach had upped the ante for the remaining Autumn Nations Series Tests against Fiji this Saturday, followed by Australia seven days later for the IRFU’s 150th Anniversary match.
"I would say happiness. Like Faz said yesterday and moving on from last week that three from three is a must now - Argentina, Fiji, Australia.
"We wanted four from four and then having lost last week we needed it. Probably a small bit of relief in that it went down to the wire today.
"But general happiness although I am probably looking at it from a different way to most people because it is my first cap but I think everyone is happy. There is so many milestones today I feel like you can't help but feel happy.”
Clarkson hinted that fellow debutant, Leinster team-mate and friend Prendergast may have had more mixed emotions about his introduction to international rugby. Three years the tighthead prop’s junior, Prendergast replaced Jack Crowley on 61 minutes and showed glimpses of why the Irish management are so excited about the playmaker’s future as a Test player.
Yet Prendergast could not alter Ireland’s inability to score after 33 minutes and Clarkson said: "I'm good mates with Prendo anyway so we were chatting away. Obviously as a number 10 if you are not scoring any points he probably had a bit of frustration but, sure, if you are not happy getting your first cap there is something wrong with you.
"Typical Prendo, he wants everything to be 100% perfect and when it is not he has got a big stroppy head on him. Similar to Sexto, I would have said."
Prendergast’s 19-minute cameo was also appreciated by former Leinster attack coach and Argentina boss Felipe Contepomi, who said of the young fly-half: “I think he played well. He’ll be a top-quality player. It’s tough to get into a game because it wasn’t a resolved game. He managed it well. He attacked well. He nearly scored and I think he did well.”
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