Inside man Jamison Gibson-Park can't wait for Jack Crowley - Sam Prendergast 'duel'

He's the inside man and Jamison Gibson-Park predicts Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast will duel it out for the Ireland number 10 jersey for years to come.

The Leinster scrum-half has been the number one choice for his adopted country since breaking into the international set-up in 2020, and won his 38th cap in the 22-19 Autumn Nations Series win over Australia on Saturday.

Much was made of head coach Andy Farrell’s decision to retain Leinster's Sam Prendergast at 10, a week after his first Test start against Argentina, ahead of Jack Crowley of Munster.

Crowley is only 24 and started the first nine games after Johnny Sexton’s retirement last year.

The 2024 Six Nations winner came off the bench for Prendergast after 66 minutes on Saturday, scoring a conversion as Ireland overturned a 19-15 deficit.

Twenty-one-year-old Prendergast had impressed on his second start, linking and kicking well, in addition to scoring five points off the tee.

The duo may go head-to-head when Munster host URC league leaders Leinster on 27 December.

"I'm loving playing with these guys full of youth and enthusiasm," said New Zealand native Gibson-Park.

"It's awesome for Irish rugby, we'll still see these guys duelling it out for years to come.

"It's pretty crazy with the youth, but they take in their stride and it's impressive.

"I wish I was at that stage [of development] when I was at that age."

Meanwhile, Farrell was keen to downplay his selection call and subsequent media talk about how Crowley took the news.

"When you guys feel like he’s been dropped, he’s not," said Farrell.

"And when you guys feel like he’s p****d off, he’s not.

"He’s a team player, and he gets the bigger picture himself and my conversations with the three fly-halves [including Ciarán