Leinster's Sam Prendergast: If you want to be at the top level, you can't be happy with not playing

Since he started making waves for the Ireland Under-20s in their Grand Slam year of 2023, comparisons with Johnny Sexton have followed Sam Prendergast around.

There are the obvious physical attributes: height, both men over 6 foot; bossy, pointing and directing; kicking, off the ground and out of hand excellent; a strut, which the best out-halves have.

Sexton played to the line and Prendergast has shown that willingness to take the hits to make the space.

The 21-year-old has already usurped Ross and Harry Byrne in the Leinster out-half pecking order and starts for the second time this season this afternoon against the Lions at the Aviva Stadium (5.15pm, live on RTÉ).

It's a fiercely coveted position and one line from an interview with RTÉ Sport this week reveals that while he’s walking a similar walk to his most illustrious predecessor, renowned for his competitive drive, he has a bit of the talk, too.

On how to deal with not playing every week, he told Michael Corcoran: "There are two sides to it.

"You need to be able to deal with it in a positive way so you are still helping the team.

"At the same time, I don’t think you are going to get to a very good place in your career if you are happy enough to do that.

"You can still be p****d off because no-one wants not to be involved.

"If you want to be at the top level, you can’t be happy with not playing."

On the battle for the 10 shirt with Ciarán Frawley, Ross and Harry Byrne, he said: "I suppose there is, but I think that’s good for everyone.

"Frawley has done very well over the last few weeks; Ross has been very good as well. It’s obviously competitive but that’s good for everyone.

"All of us want to be playing every week but that's just the nature of it. It's a tough job to get,