Next chapter of Prendergast vs Crowley set to be highlight of looming Ireland tour
Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley will renew their battle for the Ireland No10 jersey this summer, with both playmakers included in a youthful Ireland squad which will tour Georgia and Portugal next month.
Both players were overlooked by Andy Farrell for the looming British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, but the Leinster and Munster's out-halves will be keen to impress interim head coach Paul O'Connell on this development tour.
After a breakout autumn campaign, Prendergast moved ahead of his Munster rival during the Six Nations, with the 22-year-old starting against England, Scotland, Wales and France before Crowley, who had made four cameos from the bench, was handed a starting sport for the final-round game against Italy in Rome. Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
The Corkman was subsequently linked with a big-money move to Leicester Tigers before the 25-year-old signed a two-year contract extension in April, which will keep him on the payroll at Thomond Park until 2027.
Crowley has since enjoyed an upturn in form in recent months while Prendergast's displays in a stuttering Leinster team have come in for greater scrutiny of late.
The next chapter in this rivalry will kick off in the summer as the pair of young No10s jostle for position in the international pecking order. Jack Crowley. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Ciaran Frawley will also look to jumpstart his Test career again after a disappointing season with Leinster and Ireland.
Yesterday, O'Connell named an experimental 32-player squad which will take in games against Georgia and Portugal.
The former Munster captain and current Ireland forwards coach will run the show with Farrell on sabbatical to oversee the Lions series against the Wallabies. Sam Prendergast. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
With Simon Easterby, Andrew Goodman and John Fogarty all away on Lions duty, O'Connell will have a new-look backroom team at his disposal with the Munster coaching duo of Mike Prendergast (attack), Denis Leamy (defence) as well as Connacht assistant coach Cullie Tucker (scrum) on board.
Ireland will have 15 frontliners away with the Lions while Cian Healy, Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray have retired from international action. Robbie Henshaw and Caelan Doris are out of contention due to injury along with experienced Ulster forwards Rob Herring and Iain Henderson. Ciaran Frawley will also look to jumpstart his Test career again after a disappointing season with Leinster and Ireland. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
So, O'Connell has looked to the future, naming 11 uncapped players in his squad, with Tom Ahern, Michael Milne, Shayne Bolton, Nathan Doak, Ben Murphy, Tommy O'Brien Alex Kendellen, Darragh Murray, Paddy McCarthy, Stephen Smyth and Hugh Gavin all making the cut.
Additionally, the promising Ulster trio James McNabney, Jude Postlethwaite and Zac Ward have been included as training panellists. Munster scrum-half Craig Casey will be captain. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher
Munster scrum-half Craig Casey will captain a touring party, but there was no place for his provincial teammate Tom Farrell, one of the former players in the country at the moment.
Ireland will take on Georgia in Tbilisi on Saturday, July 5 before the squad then fly to Lisbon where they will face Portugal the following Saturday, July 12.
IRELAND SQUAD FOR SUMMER TOUR
Forwards: Tom Ahern*, Ryan Baird, Finlay Bealham, Jack Boyle, Thomas Clarkson, Gavin Coombes, Max Deegan, Cormac Izuchukwu, Alex Kendellen*, Gus McCarthy, Paddy McCarthy*, Michael Milne*, Darragh Murray*, Tom O'Toole, Cian Prendergast, Stephen Smyth*, Tom Stewart, Nick Timoney.
Backs: Shayne Bolton*, Craig Casey (capt), Jack Crowley, Nathan Doak*, Ciaran Frawley, Hugh Gavin*, Stuart McCloskey, Ben Murphy*, Calvin Nash, Jimmy O'Brien, Tommy O'Brien*, Jamie Osborne, Sam Prendergast, Jacob Stockdale.
Training panellists: James McNabney*, Jude Postlethwaite*, Zac Ward *.
*denotes uncapped player.
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