Prendergast brothers are powering up Leinster-Connacht provincial rivalry

In the history of Irish rugby, and certainly in the professional era, it’s doubtful that two siblings have had such a profound influence on two rival provincial teams, and certainly not in such markedly contrasting ways.

One is the skipper and standard-bearer on both the training ground and in matches, with his unrelenting professionalism, leadership and level of performance. He is Connacht’s heartbeat from the backrow. His brother is the creative hub of his Leinster side, an elegant, visionary playmaking outhalf blessed with ice in his veins on the gain line and footballing and handling skills to match. The former tackles big and hard … eh, that wouldn’t be the latter’s most obvious virtue. If they didn’t look like each other, you wouldn’t even think they were distant cousins.