Crowley’s Class Trumps Prendergast’s Potential
Matthew Parke
Leinster and Munster met at Croke Park for an interprovincial derby that was engulfed in the Ireland fly-half debate, as Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast took to the field for their first-ever clash against one another.
On the day, Munster outclassed Leinster in every aspect bar perhaps the scrums, defeating Leinster by 17 points. Tadhg Beirne was his usual nuisance-self at the breakdown, but it was Crowley who took home the Player of the Match award with a stunning display that completely outshone his opposite number.
Crowley played like he wanted to silence the debate once and for all. He took complete charge of Munster’s attack, always looking for the ball to go through him, and utilised both his ability with the ball in hand and a strong kicking game. A notable highlight was his chip over the top of the Leinster line, which was plucked out of the air by Tom Farrell to go under the posts. He was also physical in defence and not afraid to put a shoulder in when needed.
In contrast, Prendergast never got a chance. Whilst Crowley made the most of Munster’s possession, Prendergast struggled to get the Leinster attack firing. His kicking was poor, with some kicks lacking any sort of meaning. Prendergast’s decision-making has long been questioned, and on this occasion, these criticisms have been validated.
Crowley, therefore, must start for Ireland come November 1st when they take on the All Blacks in Chicago. This season he has been outstanding. His kicking has come a long way in particular, bringing a completely new facet to his attacking game.
Prendergast has previously been favoured in the Ireland No. 10 jersey, taking charge at the back end of the Autumn Nations Series last year and starting most of the Six Nations fixtures under interim coach Simon Easterby. However, his lacklustre performances for Leinster, especially at the start of this season in comparison to Crowley, must have Farrell favouring the Munster man. Additionally, Prendergast may also be concerned about Harry Byrne’s Player of the Match performance in Leinster’s only victory this season against the Hollywoodbets Sharks, raising questions over whether he should even start at fly-half for the provincial side, let alone Ireland.
Looking at the long-term outlook and towards the Rugby World Cup in 2027, it is clear that Munster’s Craig Casey is the preferred scrum-half for when Jamison Gibson-Park calls it a day. Casey has been outstanding for Munster and even captained Ireland during their summer fixtures against Portugal and Georgia. JGP will be 35 by the time of RWC 2027, and if Casey is preferred over him by then, Crowley, as his Munster out-half partner, would offer more synergy within the Ireland team.
Prendergast should not be completely dismissed, however. Although Crowley is Ireland’s current, there is still definite potential for Prendergast to become the future. He clearly has a lot of potential, which is why there is so much buzz around the 22-year-old. Physically and defensively, he needs some improvement, but a bit of healthy competition at Leinster with Harry Byrne might be just what he needs, helping him develop and gain experience.
With enough time, there is definitely a future with Sam Prendergast as Ireland’s starting fly-half, but for now, it is Crowley’s jersey to lose.