Andy Farrell says Sam Prendergast 'deserves' start against Australia

NOT IN DEEP END: Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell insists Ireland are not throwing Sam Prendergast into the deep end against Australia.

Andy Farrell has insisted Ireland are not throwing Sam Prendergast in at the deep end by selecting the Test rookie to start at number 10 against Australia in Dublin this Saturday.

In a team for the IRFU’s 150th Anniversary men’s Test showing five changes from the one which started the convincing 52-17 victory over Fiji seven days earlier, the head coach has opted to restore his tried and trusted operators at the expense of less experienced or less frequently selected squad members.

Hugo Keenan back at full-back for an injured Jamie Osborne, likewise for James Lowe on the left wing for Jacob Stockdale. Jamison Gibson-Park returns at scrum-half as Craig Casey moves to the replacements while in the forwards Ronan Kelleher swaps places at hooker with last week’s starting debutant Gus McCarthy and James Ryan’s return to the second row sees Tadhg Beirne revert to blindside flanker at the expense of another first-capper in Cormac Izuchukwu.

Yet Farrell has deemed 21-year-old Prendergast, a fortnight after a Test debut off the bench against Argentina and a week on from his first start against the Fijians, worthy of retention for this Tier-One match-up against a revitalised Australia currently thriving under the guidance of former Ireland boss Joe Schmidt.

Jack Crowley, the previous occupant of the green number 10 jersey in every one of Ireland’s games since Johnny Sexton’s retirement 13 months ago until last week’s outing, does return but the Munster playmaker, still only 24 himself, must settle with a place among the replacements.

So is this a seismic shift in the Ireland fly-half pecking order or simply an extension of Prendergast’s blooding as a Test 10 with a glimpse towards the long-term future?

The Ireland boss, who has retained last week’s debutant starting hooker Gus McCarthy, a fellow 21-year-old, as a replacement to face the Wallabies, was giving little away but his colours appear nailed to the Prendergast mast. The Leinster fly-half was brought on tour to South Africa last summer and though he remained uncapped as Crowley started both Tests against the Springboks, backed up by Ciaran Frawley, whose late drop goal secured a 1-1 series draw with the world champions, it was clear his future in the Ireland Test team had been marked out as a rosy one.

So, was this a selection based entirely on merit to face the Australians this weekend or was there an element of planning for the future involved in the decision-making process?

“It could be, yeah,” Farrell said. “This isn’t just throwing someone in and hoping to get the best out of it. I think he’s deserved it a little bit but also there’s obviously an eye on (the future).

“I suppose with the two young lads (Prendergast and McCarthy), this game won’t define them. It’ll be a good part of their development and that’s what you’re hoping for.

“I think he deserves it. I thought he played pretty well,” Farrell continued. “He has trained pretty well over the course of this autumn series as well, so there's another chance there to lead the week and grow in that manner. Obviously the opportunity to play in a big game along with a good side behind him. For the likes of himself and Gus McCarthy and a few others actually, hopefully you combine all of that together and it kicks them on for the future."

Asked whether he felt Prendergast had out-performed Crowley this month, Farrell said: "Jack's played very well for us for a good while now, played in a lot of big games as well.

“So we know as far as that's concerned what we've got, although there's a lot of improving to be had and to be seen with Jack and Ciarán Frawley, etc. but I suppose it's pretty similar to Conor (Murray).

“Conor's an unbelievably trusted member of our staff, as is Jack. Craig played well, he deserves his chance to play in a big game also, so it goes through the squad."

McCarthy’s front-row cover role will see him line-up alongside veteran loosehead prop Cian Healy, 15 years on from a Test debut against Australia and in line for an Irish-record 134th appearance. Ireland legend and fellow former Belvedere College Leinster Schools Cup winner Ollie Campbell was due to present the commemorative 150th jerseys to the squad on Thursday night.

IRELAND: H Keenan (Leinster); M Hansen (Connacht), R Henshaw (Leinster), B Aki (Connacht), J Lowe (Leinster); S Prendergast (Leinster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster); A Porter (Leinster), R Kelleher (Leinster), F Bealham; (Connacht) J McCarthy (Leinster), J Ryan (Leinster); T Beirne (Munster), J van der Flier (Leinster), C Doris (Leinster) - captain.

Replacements: G McCarthy (Leinster), C Healy (Leinster), T O'Toole (Ulster), I Henderson (Ulster), P O'Mahony (Munster), C Casey (Munster), J Crowley (Munster), G Ringrose (Leinster).