‘His ceiling is very high’ – Ireland coach praises Prendergast
Mike Catt has been around the professional game too long to be backed into a corner, so when the former England international and long-time assistant coach to Andy Farrell is asked if there’s a particular out-half that Sam Prendergast reminds him of he pauses, gives a general answer and smiles.
A reporter decides to probe, asking Catt: “So, he does remind you of someone but you won’t say who it is?”
The smile broadens, as he says: “No, I won’t say who it is.”
So, it’s a case of answers on a postcard on that one as Catt opts not to put a Johnny Sexton-sized millstone around the 21-year-old’s neck.
He looks like he could handle it, however, and the Irish management clearly like what they see and they’ve opted to bring Prendergast to South Africa for their two-Test tour ahead of the more established Byrne brothers.
“His ceiling is very high, he is very confident. He runs the week very, very well,” Catt said.
“For the future he can learn a lot from this environment. Going forward he deserves an opportunity. That is what we have gone with.”
In a system as aligned as Ireland’s, it is curious that the national team are selecting a player who finished the season as Leinster’s third choice No 10 ahead of Ross Byrne, who started the big games in blue.
Frustrating
Catt was asked if it frustrating that a player of such high potential who Ireland believe is ready to face the world champions in the next two weeks doesn’t get more games.
“No, you’ll have to ask Leinster that really,” he replied.
“They’ve got four outside halves there and they’ve got to manage it.
“There’s been a World Cup, there’s been injuries as well so they’ve had to manage it but, going forward, that’s something obviously that Leo [Cullen] and the Leinster guys, and Faz [Andy Farrell] need to discuss.
“It’s just what it is at the moment and we don’t dwell on that, we’ll just go ‘right, this is what we want and this is where we will go’.”
Catt believes the tour will accelerate Prendergast’s development.
“When you are surrounded by the best of the best all the time, you won’t have an opportunity to play with a Bundee [Aki] or those guys around him, it is making sure that he sucks up all the atmosphere and the intelligence from the players around him and understands what it is all about,” he said.
Jack Crowley goes as the No 10, with Ciarán Frawley primed to back him up but Prendergast and fellow uncapped players Cormac Izuchukwu and Jamie Osborne have been picked to contribute.
“The nice thing is that they are all really there on merit,” he said.
“You have to be realistic with it ultimately, but if someone drops down, someone gets injured or in some cases if two people get injured in the same position, they have got to be ready. That is our job to make sure that these guys are ready.”