Sam Prendergast gets Ireland number 10 backing from interim boss Simon Easterby

Ireland interim boss Simon Easterby has backed rookie fly-half Sam Prendergast to rise to the challenge of showcasing his “unbelievable talent” in his first Test match outside of Dublin.

Following a Guinness Six Nations debut in last weekend’s 27-22 bonus-point win over England, 21-year-old Prendergast has been retained ahead of Jack Crowley for Sunday’s Murrayfield clash with Scotland.

Easterby admits it was a “tough selection call” on the back of Crowley’s impressive cameo against Steve Borthwick’s side and suggested the number 10 jersey may change hands during the remainder of the championship.

Prendergast, whose four previous international caps came at the Aviva Stadium, has faced hostile atmospheres at provincial level in recent months, helping Leinster to victories away to Munster and La Rochelle.

“We saw when he left Ireland camp in November and had the opportunity to play away from home with Leinster, he handled those pretty well,” Easterby told reporters on Friday morning.

“It’s early days for him, we know that he has unbelievable talent and the expectation on him probably from himself, but also from the outside world, is pretty high at the moment.

“We’re trying to support him in the best way we can, to allow him to keep growing, keep enjoying those experiences, learning from them, and they’re not always going to be perfect.

“Unless you have them, you won’t know how to handle them in the future.”

Munster player Crowley played every minute of Ireland’s Six Nations title-winning campaign in 2024 and was praised for his impact against England by opposition head coach Borthwick.

“It was another tough selection call but we felt like the right decision in terms of continuity but also the growth of Sam,” said Easterby.