Much has been made of Sam Prendergast’s recent arrival on the international scene, with fans and pundits alike quick to point out comparisons with Ireland’s former talisman Johnny Sexton.
At first glance, there appears to be plenty of similarities between the two fly-halfs, not least the fact that Prendergast’s rival for the jersey, Jack Crowley, conveniently fills the void left by the man Sexton looked to supplant 15 years ago, Ronan O’Gara.
The animosity that defined that dynamic has so far been notable by its absence and head coach Andy Farrell recently declared himself delighted with both Crowley and Prendergast in the wake of Ireland’s victory over Australia.
Such cordial relations do not mean that the Prendergast-Crowley conundrum will be easy to resolve, as Farrell will know from close, personal experience.
Sexton vs O’Gara
The reality of the Sexton-O’Gara rivalry was that it was always a waiting game due to the age disparity between the pair.
When Sexton made his debut against Fiji in 2009 at the age of twenty-four, O’Gara was closing in on one hundred caps for his country and had been his country’s first choice for nearly a decade.
It was a tale as old as time: the young prince simply couldn’t wait for the king to die, and the ugly transition of power played out for the world to see.
Farrell’s current predicament does not have the same inevitable conclusion. Crowley is barely three years older than Prendergast and there is nothing to suggest that the two men won’t be competing for the Ireland jersey for the next decade.
Crowley has only been the incumbent this season and is still establishing himself on the international scene.
Whereas Sexton made his debut a few months after starring in Leinster’s run to the Heineken Cup, Prendergast has only made a handful of starts for the province.
Constant Battle
Both men will make mistakes in the green jersey, each of which will lead to calls that the other should leapfrog them in the pecking order.
Such uncertainty in a position as crucial as theirs could spell disaster for an Ireland team so reliant on its patterns of play.
If Farrell is looking for a more apt point of reference, he ought to start much closer to home.
The closeness in age between Crowley and Prendergast is more reminiscent of the dynamic between Farrell’s son, Owen, and George Ford over the past decade.
Like the Irish pair, this rivalry appeared rooted in mutual respect, even friendship, but nonetheless threatened to dominate the reigns of three successive England head coaches.
Concerns about the pecking order were eased only by Owen Farrell’s flexibility, with the two often lining up alongside one another.
This compromise provided England with some brilliant moments but there are many who argue England would have achieved more had one of the pair become the undisputed first choice.
Neither Crowley or Prendergast look likely to be as accommodating, ensuring that a reckoning is coming sooner or later.
Six Nations 2025
With Farrell having taken charge of his last Ireland game until after the Lions tour, that decision rests on the shoulders of interim head coach, Simon Easterby, in the short term at least.
With Ireland looking to retain their Six Nations title and Lions selection up for grabs, neither fly-half will be content to play second fiddle, and the pleasantries observed thus far could quickly become a distant memory.
The Crowley-Prendergast era has arrived and their rivalry will fill plenty more pages over the coming years. The next chapter will begin next month when Easterby announces his team for Ireland’s opening match against England.
For coach and players alike, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
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