Ireland v Australia: 'He deserves it' - Andy Farrell on Sam Prendergast selection 

The 21-year-old got the nod to start against the Wallabies on Saturday.

Head coach Andy Farrell during an Ireland Rugby media conference at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Andy Farrell believes Sam Prendergast deserves his start as Ireland 10 against Australia on Saturday ahead of Jack Crowley but insisted all of his inexperienced fly-halves have a lot of improving to do.

Prendergast, 21, is the least experienced of the trio of number 10s in head coach Farrell’s squad, Ciaran Frawley the one to miss out at Aviva Stadium this weekend. He made his first Test start in last Saturday’s Autumn Nations Series win over Fiji, a week on from a debut off the bench when he replaced Crowley, 24, in the victory over Argentina.