Mike Prendergast explains why Tom Farrell has been a 'brilliant' Munster signing

Prendergast said Munster 21-year-old back row Brian Gleeson is another player whose ceiling is "very, very high".

Tom Farrell was Munster's player of the year last season. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast classed Tom Farrell as a brilliant signing for the province as he celebrated his centre’s Ireland call-up by comparing his carrying to all-time Irish great Brian O’Driscoll.

Farrell, 32, was added to Andy Farrell’s squad on Monday as cover for injured midfielders Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw with Munster’s player of the year for last season boarding Ireland’s plane on Tuesday bound for Chicago ahead of the November 1 Test against New Zealand at Soldier Field.

The former Leinster academy player was released by Connacht at the end of 2023-24 but made an immediate impact at Munster, earning player of the year plaudits from team-mates and supporters alike in his first season.

Yet even with Aki and Garry Ringrose touring with the British & Irish Lions and Henshaw rested, Farrell was still overlooked by Ireland last summer when they travelled to Georgia and Portugal and he was omitted by the Ireland boss from the initial November squad named last week.

Farrell rebounded from that disappointment with a try-scoring performance in Munster’s bonus-point win at Leinster last Saturday and when the Ireland call-up finally came, the news was greeted with delight at the province’s High Performance Centre in Limerick. A day later, as Prendergast previewed this Saturday’s Thomond Park derby against Connacht, the attack coach praised his midfielder’s elevation to the national squad.

“He’s a great fella as well and that's why everyone is so happy for him,” Prendergast said.

“He's been brilliant for us. There's no other way of saying it, his performances, and for me, he does it at the top level as well. Even last weekend (in the win over Leinster) and you look at some of our big games last year, he was outstanding.

“I sometimes just bring it back to simplicity. He's one of these players, and ironically two players that I always give examples of to the lads as well, we were showing good clips of Tom, would be Brian O'Driscoll and Barry Murphy, they run with the ball in two hands, Tom does that and it's very hard to defend. You're playing with defenders, they don't know if you're going to carry, if you're going to pass.

“And he just has this ability, he gets his nose through or he makes line breaks. Even you think back to the Leinster game in Croke Park last year, the amount of times he made line breaks as well. So he's been a brilliant signing for us, great fella around the place as well, and thoroughly deserves his call-up.

“Delighted for him, it's been one of those ones that's worked out really well.” 

Tom Farrell and Shayne Bolton arrive at Dublin Airport before flying to Chicago where Ireland will face the All Blacks. Pic: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Less fortunate have been a quartet of Munster men who sustained injuries in the Croke Park win. Lock Edwin Edogbo, who sustained a concussion, hooker Diarmuid Barron suffered a neck injury, wing Andrew Smith required a scan on a hamstring injury while Brian Gleeson fractured his elbow at Croke Park on Saturday night and will undergo surgery. He started at No.8 ahead of Gavin Coombes against Leinster and scored a try before his injury around 30 minutes into the contest.

Prendergast praised the 21-year-old’s development while ruing his misfortune at missing out on an Ireland squad involvement.

“Even though he's on for half an hour the other day, you see some of his carries, his close-in contacts, even the finish for the try he looked like he was stopped but he's a strong young lad, I'd say that much, and he's building really, really nicely.

“I said it a few weeks ago about Edwin, and Brian's ceiling is very, very high as well. He's an explosive back rower, he has a lot to his game, he's quick, he has great footwork.

“The timing isn't great, timing is never great, but yeah, especially after being called into an international squad, but he'll come back I've no doubt. He has a big, long future ahead of him, there's no fear there.” 

Munster have welcomed back wing Diarmuid Kilgallen to training after the former Connacht man missed the start of the season with an ankle injury.

“He'll train this week so hopefully he'll be in the mix because he's just been unbelievably unlucky,” Prendergast said. “I think any of the games, you probably saw he got called into the Irish squad during the summer as well and rightly so. His ability, he's just incredibly explosive and quick, again, he has a great profile. He's just been unlucky over the last while with injuries.

“Hopefully he'll be back very, very soon and he gets a run of it.”