'His ceiling is very high' - Sam Prendergast impresses Mike Catt

One of the biggest calls made by Andy Farrell in his 35-man squad for this summer's tour of South Africa was a reshuffle of the depth-chart at out-half.

Jack Crowley has taken over as first choice 10 since Johnny Sexton's post-World Cup retirement, while the versatile Ciarán Frawley appears to have made himself next cab off the rank, while also being able to cover centre and full-back.

Behind that pair, Leinster's Sam Prendergast has leapfrogged his provincial teammates Ross and Harry Byrne in the pecking order, earning his first full call-up to the senior squad.

The 21-year-old has been involved with the senior squad before, training with them for the first few days of their warm-weather camp in Portugal before the Six Nations in January, but the out-half's inclusion in the 35-man squad to travel to South Africa this week is a clear sign that Farrell is keen to fast-track his development, even if it clashes with where Leinster see him in their succession plan.

"I think that his ceiling is very high, he is very confident," Ireland attack coach Mike Catt said of Prendergast, who starred in the Ireland side that won an U20 Six Nations Grand Slam and reached the final of the World Rugby U20 Championship 12 months ago.

"He runs the week very, very well. Obviously for the future he can learn a lot from this environment. Going forward he deserves an opportunity. That is what we have gone with."

Given how Crowley and Frawley are both also relatively new in their Test careers, it's likely Farrell may lean on the pair in his matchday squads for the games in Pretoria and Durban.

But Catt says they have no reservations about throwing Prendergast, and his fellow uncapped squad members Cormac Izuchukwu and Jamie Osborne, in at the deep end