Rookie Ireland fly-half Sam Prendergast has little interest in the “outside noise” surrounding his rivalry with Jack Crowley after celebrating his Guinness Six Nations debut with victory over England.
Much of the build-up to Saturday evening’s 27-22 bonus-point success in Dublin centred on the decision of interim boss Simon Easterby to select Leinster playmaker Prendergast ahead of Munster’s Crowley.
Prendergast, who won his maiden Test cap as a replacement against Argentina in the autumn and then started the subsequent wins over Fiji and Australia, slotted a long-range penalty but missed his two conversion attempts before being replaced by Crowley with 22 minutes to go.
The 21-year-old rated his own performance as “mixed” as he played down the significance of the ongoing debate about Ireland’s number 10 jersey, which, as in the days of Ronan O’Gara versus Johnny Sexton, has been heighted due to the two players representing opposing provinces.
“The only pressure I feel is what is inside the group and inside me,” said Prendergast.
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“Obviously you want to be the starting 10 for Ireland and Leinster. But I wouldn’t be listening to too much outside noise or the pressure of that. It’s internal pressure.
“You want to be starting but there is not too much of a rivalry between us.”
Crowley, whose impact from the bench on Saturday evening was praised by England head coach Steve Borthwick, emerged as the natural successor to the retired Sexton following the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
The 25-year-old played every minute of last year’s Six Nations title-winning campaign before slipping down the pecking order in November.
Easterby also has Leinster’s Ciaran Frawley as an option at out-half as he leads the team in the temporary absence of British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell.
“Me and Jack get along very well but there is also Frawls who we get on very well with also,” said Prendergast.
“Tens do a lot of kicking together and when there’s an off day and there’s only the three of us kicking, it would be a bit awkward if we didn’t get on.
“We travel in the same car to and from kicking. We give ideas to each other in training or in meetings. It’s good to learn off each other.”
Former captain Sexton, who had a turbulent relationship with O’Gara during his playing days, has been in Ireland’s camp helping Prendergast, Crowley and Frawley prepare for the championship.
“He’s been very good, whether it’s kicking or just general play,” said Prendergast.
“His mind was his most powerful asset a lot of the time when he played, so there is a lot to learn off him and I still have a lot to learn off him.”
Prendergast’s three points against England gave Ireland the lead for the first time in the contest after he was unable to add the extras to tries from Jamison Gibson-Park and Bundee Aki.
Crowley subsequently converted scores from Tadhg Beirne and Dan Sheehan before Tom Curry and Tommy Freeman made the scoreline more respectable for the visitors following Cadan Murley’s early opener.
“It was mixed, personally; I thought the team played quite well,” Prendergast said of his championship debut.
“We didn’t get as fast a start as we would have liked but we came into the game quite well and had a very good second half and quite a good end to the first half.
“When England are coming here it is quite a big one and you want to win. That’s all that really matters. Winning is the most important thing.”
