Simon Easterby expects Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley to 'compete for a long time'

Simon Easterby expects Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley to "compete for a long time" after naming the Leinster out-half to start against England.

Munster's fly-half Crowley started nine games in 2024 following the retirement of captain Johnny Sexton after the World Cup.

Within that run, Ireland retained their Guinness Six Nations Championship.

Prendergast, 21, made his debut as a replacement against Argentina in the Autumn Nations Series and started the next two games, wins over Fiji and Australia.

Ireland begin their campaign against England, who won last year’s fixture in Twickenham, on Saturday at Aviva Stadium (4.45pm).

"Those two are going to play a lot of rugby and they are going to compete with each other, along with a few others, Ciarán Frawley also in the squad," interim head coach Easterby told RTÉ Sport.

"They are going to play a lot of rugby and compete for a long time, I think.

"This decision has gone Sam’s way. We felt like he did really well in November, he got a taste for international rugby.

"He went away and played really well for Leinster in a good period for them, and he was a big part of the successes across the December window and into the new year.

"We feel like he’s the right man this weekend to lead the team.

"He’s a lot of experience around him and even the way Jack has trained and played coming into the Six Nations means that Sam knows he’s got to keep raising his game and keep getting better.

"Jack played really well in Northampton [for Munster in the Champions Cup] in the week prior to camp and he also comes in with a lot of credit in the bank, in terms of what he’s done in the last 18 months, two years."

On when the call on the 10 jersey was made, Easterby added: "There were certainly no preconceived