'He's learning, he’ll be better for it' - Leo Cullen backs Sam Prendergast after tough night in South Africa

Prendergast had an eventful conclusion to Leinster's loss to the Bulls, missing a drop goal before seeing a pass picked off.

Sun, 05 Oct, 2025 - 11:23

John Fallon

Leo Cullen has backed Sam Prendergast’s decision-making and says the 22-year old out-half will learn a lot from games like their 39-31 loss to the Bulls in Pretoria.

Prendergast had an eventful conclusion to the game, missing a drop goal from almost halfway three minutes from time when the URC champions trailed 32-31.

Then moments later, as Leinster tried to run from outside their 22, Prendergast had his pass picked off by David Kriel to deny them a second bonus point.

There was a chance to rescue that second bonus point — Leinster already had four tries in the bag — when they restarted with a penalty on halfway after the Bulls were guilty of over-exuberant head-tapping celebrations, but Prendergast’s effort was wide of the target.

“I thought it was a good decision at the time,” said Cullen about the drop goal attempt.

“There was still time in the clock as well after that. So, yeah, there were so many different moments in the game there that we were very, very close to nailing. I thought Sam was excellent and lots of good stuff in the game.

“But he's a young man. He's learning on the go. Tough challenge, tough environment over here to play in. But he’ll be better for it, like all our young guys,.

“But credit to the Bulls, they were more clinical probably in some of the opportunities that they took than we did. They deserved to win and we'll move on, lick our wounds.”

The net result is that champions Leinster return home with just one point from their trip to South Africa but after the 35-0 drubbing to the Stormers in Cape Town a week earlier, this was a much better performance which could have yielded the win.

“It's unbelievably tough place to come here, as we know. But frustrated, yeah, it sort of feels like one that got away,” added Cullen.

“Had some chances and we had like a losing bonus point where we're going for the win and giving that up as well just felt a bit of a kick in the teeth at the end.

“But, overall, there’s a much better, improved performance on last week but a long way to come for one point, but it is a point and we'll move on.”

Moving on means another South African team next weekend when they take on the Sharks in the Aviva Stadium when they will hope for their first win of a season where it took them 100 minutes to get their first points when Prendergast landed a penalty at the end of the opening quarter at Loftus Versfeld where they had lost all three previous visits.

They trailed 22-10 at the break with Thomas Clarkson getting their opening try, while touchdowns from the impressive Hugh Cooney and Tommy O’Brien edged them in front after the break, with Scott Penny securing the bonus point before the Bulls rallied.

David Kriel’s intercept try, his second of the match, brought their haul to six and Leinster’s concession into double figures for the two-match tour.

“There was plenty of good stuff in the game,” added Cullen.

“Just need to keep at it now. It's a tough challenge. We knew coming away here, first off, a lot of guys haven't played any games in pre-season. But it is what it is. We're up and running now.

“You see someone like a Tom Clarkson coming in for his first game. So, with a few other guys, the Lions crew, coming back, it's a mix over the next few weeks.

“Sharks, obviously, are already two games into their tour. I'm sure they'll get maybe potentially a few of their Springbok guys back as well. So we've got to travel back, so we'll have a short week in terms of prep-wise.

"But, like, it's a great challenge, isn't it? And that's the amazing part about this competition.”