Craig Casey 'all over' his brief as latest Ireland captain, says Mike Prendergast

Craig Casey is relishing the opportunity as Irish captain in the absence of his more senior national teammates. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Mike Prendergast has lauded Craig Casey’s opening contributions as Ireland captain ahead of the team’s two-Test summer mini-tour to Georgia and Portugal.

The two men know each other well from their day jobs at Munster, Prendergast as attack coach and Casey as first-choice scrum-half, but this national get-together marks a step up in responsibility for both.

Casey is still relatively inexperienced at the highest level with just 19 caps to his name, but he comes into this period on the back of some eye-catching form with his province and now the 26-year old is being asked to command the changing-room with it.

He has done that by staying true to himself.

“Yeah, I don't think I've seen anything different in the last few days [than] for us with Munster. He would be one of our leaders. He's full of energy. He's a student of the game. His leadership, guys will listen because he's a guy who is incredibly diligent.

“He's all over his stuff and you always want people to follow that. So he hasn't been any different than what he would be down in Munster. Obviously through the week and through next week that will ramp up from his point of view, I would imagine.

“But he brings a really good calmness to people as well,” said Prendergast. 

“It’s great to have him as one, within the squad and two, as a captain. So he has all the leadership qualities that you ask for from a person.” This is a very inexperienced Ireland team given the presence in Australia of so many regulars on British and Irish Lions duties – not to mention the plethora of coaches and support staff loaned to the famous tourists by the IRFU.

Ireland still have quality despite depletion including the likes of Casey's Munster teammate Jack Crowley. Picture: Ben Brady/Inpho

If Casey is one font of familiarity then the half-back position is another where Jack Crowley, Sam Prendergast and Ciaran Frawley will bring a needed element of nous to the games against Georgia in Tbilisi and Portugal in Lisbon.

“We're fortunate, especially in around that half back area, there's good experience there,” said Prendergast. “Stuart McCloskey has been in and around the squad a lot, Ryan Baird, so there's a lot of guys that are that are well experienced.

“We always talk about leadership on the pitch, off the pitch, but when you get together with a new squad, that's something that you really look for your leaders to step up and drive us and show the way. And to be fair to them, they've been excellent from what I've seen.

“Some of it's new to me as well and some of the lads are new to me, and just working with them over the last few days has been really pleasing. We've spoken about connecting with people, staff, players, et cetera. That's where we're aiming to get and it's been very very good so far, I'm very positive.” 

Paul O’Connell is acting head coach of a 32-man squad that will make for Eastern Europe first in the middle of next week. There are a dozen uncapped faces among them and the intention is that all will return home with their debut cap in tow.

“Yeah, that would be the intention. We'll see game by game, without getting two clichéd. So ideally, that's why they're in here. There's a few lads in in terms of training with us as well. So our intention will be to get as many guys onto the pitch as we can over the next two weeks.”