Leinster's Leo Cullen on Sam Prendergast's performance against Scarlets
Leinster boss Leo Cullen was quick to jump to Sam Prendergast's defence following his side's URC quarter-final win over Scarlets.
Ireland's Six Nations' out-half has been attracting lots of attention recently and was the subject of stinging criticism about his defence from former Ireland star Shane Horgan in the wake of the Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton.Others, such as former England out-half Stuart Barnes, praised the Leinster star's ability to attack, to be exciting, and that there was a decade or more of brilliance coming down the line.At the same time and most likely down to that performance against Northampton, Prendergast missed out on Lions squad selection and while Leinster won on Saturday, he was once again down for some flak - and it wasn't about his tackling.Rather, with his side 15-7 up and three metres from the Scarlets line on the verge of half-time, he fluffed a pass directing it backwards and behind his own defence and from where Scarlets raced down the field and scored. 15-7 became a tricky 15-14.'Sam is a young player and he had some unbelievable moments in the game today and that's not to hype somebody up to the point where we're unrealistic in our expectations," said Cullen."There were probably a couple of penalties there, a number of Scarlet's players offside, no clear release and one of the breakdowns, and then they go the length of the field and score, which is potentially a 14-point swing at half-time.'So you have a young player, just gone 22 recently, and we need to support these guys coming through the system in Leinster, and there's patience and being realistic about what young men can do.'And for us it's just we want to try and nurture talents and most of the guys come through the system here, a few guys add as well, like Jordie Barrett, a big influence, having the likes of RG Snyman coming off the bench. Rabah Slimani, the experience he has as well.'But for the most part it's guys that come through, Academy players that have progressed through the senior team."Still, Leinster had negotiated the hurdle, there was no disastrous mishap.Continued Cullen: 'It's great to be still playing knockout rugby at this stage of the season."We've talked about this, it's week by week now. Glasgow and ourselves have had a good look at each other over the last number of weeks, so we know each other pretty well."We will just build a plan now for next week and recover well. We're into June rugby, the season goes on.'The big thing for us is support and genuine excitement. It shouldn't be a drudge, it should be like 'This is amazing, we are in a semi-final, we are getting ready, we are playing the current reigning champions."What we know is that they're kicking the ball quite a bit, even at the end, pinning us back in our end, and I think Glasgow will be doing something similar next week as well."Moreover Glasgow are facing a similar challenge to the one they encountered last season."Last year they won a home quarter-final and came away to Munster to win an away semi-final before they went to South Africa to win an away final.'If you're putting yourself in Glasgow's shoes, what are they like? They're relishing the opportunity to come here but we need to be relishing the opportunity of playing in front of our home fans.'I's great to be in a semi-final again but we take nothing for granted.'We have already lost a semi-final. Everyone was, supporters, staff, trying to look too far ahead so it was a real harsh lesson for us but learning from that and we are excited now.'We know it's going to be hard. We're up against the URC champions who came to Ireland last year to win their semi-final. Hopefully it'll be a great contest."Josh van der Flier is unlikely to make it back for next weekend, there is more likely going to be a precautionary rest not least as Scott Penny did so well when he came in.Jack Conan and RG Snyman will be ice-packed and stitched up and ready to go, Tadhg Furlong is back training fully while Garry Ringrose may make the picture. Robbie Henshaw is not expected to play again this season but will be moving straight to the Lions in the aftermath.
"It looked like it was Josh's hammy," said Cullen of van der Flier's injury, "that's the report, he felt a bit of tightness again, he was struggling to run it off so whether that's back-driven or neuro I don't know."Obviously Scott came in there so the six-two bench worked for us there as Scott was a natural no7 coming off the bench. Scott was good, brought good energy."You are always nervous during the warm up, 'hope one of these backs doesn't go down and cause some complications...".There was also a nod to the attendance, 12,789, which would seem quite low for a URC quarter-final albeit this was a Bank Holiday weekend."Hopefully we have support to come out again in the semi-final and I know we ask a lot of supporters over the course of the season but let's make it a special occasion, a semi-final, let's be better than we were in the last semi-final.'That's our job as coaches, making sure we have a good plan there this week but be genuinely excited by the challenge of it."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Cian Tracey: It's ‘no more Mr Nice Guy' as Leo Cullen is feeling the heat with Leinster's URC hopes in the balance
It took less than two minutes of last Saturday's post-match press conference for Leo Cullen to bring up the Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton Saints. Cullen had been asked a straightforward question about his side's performance in their 33-21 URC quarter-final win over the Scarlets before the pain of the Saints loss quickly resurfaced, as the Leinster head coach's mind drifted back.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Munster a victim of pure sh*thousery in Durban - writes One F in Foley
Munster didn't deserve to beat Sharks in normal time in Durban, nor did they show enough to win in extra-time. But they didn't deserve to be treated to extraordinary sh*thousery in the shoot-out, specifically as Jack Crowley lined up the fourth of his side's six kicks at Tullow Tank AKA Sean O'Brien delighted in telling anyone who would listen that the advent of 28 and more TV cameras at big matches had more or less done away with players attempting anything underhand. Sh*thousery (British slang, def: 'underhand conduct or gamesmanship, playing dirty, using questionable tactics to win, being a skilful opportunist') is a good word for the King's Park goings on and Jaden Hendrikse deserves ownership of it too. So while the Sharks' no9 didn't do anything illegal when, following kicking his penalty he collapsed to the turf and, claiming immobilising cramp, refused to budge, interfering with Crowley's preparation and taking of his basked in a variety of individuals arriving to stretch his calf, chatting to the referee presumably to point out how helpless he was, and taking time to apparently wink knowingly at Crowley - all which ever-so blatantly caught on camera - was not against Rugby it was Crowley kept his nerve, even if his wounded-duck kick somehow managed to reassert itself and get through posts but he was clearly raging at Hendrikse after the match had ended. You didn't have to be a lip-reader to recognise one phrase repeated over and over Saturday's referee Mike Adamson looked indecisive as the tension ramped up but, says a former World Cup, Six Nations, Rugby Championship, Heineken Cup and Celtic League referee and on who played the game at a very, very high standard too: "There is not a lot the referee can do but if you want to stay with the values of the game, that was something that should have been avoided - could the player have fallen a bit further away, even crawled a little bit out of the picture? "I think the authorities have to look at the attitude of the Sharks players and the management but that's an after-the-event occurrence and won't affect a result. "The player definitely had a cramp, you can see clearly that his leg is cramping in the TV footage so that is not a lie but the referee was never going to order the ambulance-buggy to come on. "The player hadn't broken his leg, he had cramp and if the buggy had been called on it would have added to the bullshit and drama. "Plus, and here is a thing we don't know, what was said between those two players earlier in the game, there was a lot going on."Munster, and long suffering Munster fans with memories of Neil Back and of Lille, have few options other than being pissed off."They can make a complaint in writing to the URC, and address it to the Referees Manager. "Can the Sharks player be cited? I don't know but I'd say 'no'. Have you ever heard of a player being cited for giving a bit of 'lip' to another guy. I've never seen it at the professional level, not for 'lip'."I'd have great sympathy with Jack Crowley and it is part of their being too much bullshit going on in the modern game, captains are getting involved too much, there are too many people calling for TMO reviews and making gestures demanding yellow cards for opposition players..."Meanwhile Leinster's South African coach Jacques Nienaber says it just an unfortunate by-product of the modern rugby world, noting generally of sh*thousery:"It's something that happens in the game from minute one to minute 80. There's banter and trying to get under a guy's skin and trying to physically impose yourself on him and try and rub his hair."I mean that happens for 80 minutes, so in this case it was for everyone to see because it's not as secluded as what will be in a game. But it happens in a game."Think of Pete (O'Mahony), what did he tell Sam Cane? I mean, that banter flys. If you listen to just the referee mic and you take the commentators away, it's crazy what you hear on that mic. They got stuck into each other. It's just normal."There were some other takeaways, Sharks looked better prepared for the shootout part of the game something, incidentally, Leinster have been giving consideration too in recent weeks.'It's something that's been living with a team since Europe when we went to the round 16, and it's the same format in the URC. "So it's not something that's not being discussed or planned or detailed. It's something that's been living with a team for over two months, definitely something you talk through."We practice both the kicks and the scenario. Everybody understands their role, who's going to kick, that obviously changed with the team against Zebre, didn't have the same players against Glasgow, didn't have the same players last week.'It is not a question of being a fan of the shoot-out or not, it exists."That's the format that's given to you. I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing. I think fans love it and I think from a spectator view it's brilliant. I enjoyed it. I loved it. But I don't want to be the team that does it.'The first one I saw was Munster against Toulouse three years ago in Europe. That was the first time I actually saw it and both times that I've witnessed it. I think it grabs your attention but I would probably say something different if I'm in that team.'And while not suggesting here that Munster were quite Mick McCarthy who having lost a shoot-out looked incredulously at a reporter who had asked had his side practiced penalties (they hadn't!).It was that the Sharks kickers seemed very assured, had better rhythm, looked like everyday kickers at agreed albeit with some 'inside' information: 'Yeah. So the guy, Bradley Davids, who kicked the last kick was my son's roommate at school. He was the kicker for the school. You might know it, because he's only a young guy, he's 22 coming through the ranks.'
Irish Times
9 hours ago
- Irish Times
Owen Doyle: Rugby's failure to punish violence and gamesmanship risks pushing a generation away
So, Munster can be Munster after all. They have finished the season on a high note, with a performance of raw courage and true grit. Their match with the Sharks was one of the most dramatic encounters in United Rugby Championship history. The stadium in Durban was packed to the rafters, the men in red were extraordinary and the match was ferocious. It made for a high-drama spectacle. To lose a match played at altitude via a penalty shootout against the Springbok-laden Sharks was cruel. However, there was honour in defeat. Grumblings were heard on both sides of the equator when referee Mike Adamson was appointed. I don't know why the URC insists on persevering with him. In my view, this was a poor performance which was way below the standard required. When players from both teams frequently look perplexed, something is definitely wrong. I struggle to see the benefit in continuing with this official. READ MORE Before Jack Crowley could prepare his second shootout kick, the previous kicker, Sharks' Jaden Hendrikse, suddenly collapsed with apparent cramp. Conveniently, he fell beside the mark for the kick, successfully delaying the attempt. Adamson dealt with this as if the match was still going on. It was over and Hendrikse had no further part to play. The referee should have insisted he be removed immediately, rather than indulging him. Hendrikse even managed a sly wink at Crowley. The whole episode came across as unwelcome, unacceptable gamesmanship. It has rightly been widely condemned. An opportunity has presented itself to stand up for the game and sanction Hendrikse under misconduct laws, but don't hold your breath. It was a despicable, unsporting attempt to distract Crowley. However, not everybody thought so. Jaden Hendrikse of Sharks converts his penalty during the URC quarter-final shootout. Photograph: Darren Stewart/Inpho/Steve Haag Sports Afterwards, the pundit and former international, Stephen Ferris, took a different stance. He told us that the game could do with more of it, suggesting that the fans would like it and viewership would increase. Perhaps Ferris seeks some sort of notoriety, but that is usually accompanied by a drop in credibility. And now on to full throttle. This bit isn't about about Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen . It's about what Bordeaux's Jefferson Poirot did to Northampton's Henry Pollock after the last whistle had sounded in the Champions Cup final . 'Throttling' should be added to the list of straight red cards. This one was nasty – a tight squeeze on Pollock's throat. Understandably, it went unseen by the match officials. The citing commissioner, Ireland's Tim Lowry, did his job well. The judiciary didn't to its job so well, coming up with a meagre two-week suspension. Such a punishment, if it can be called that, will hardly act as a deterrent for such dreadful acts. Judicial hearings and decisions are now a bad joke, rarely reflecting the seriousness of dangerous offences Headbutting refuses to go away. We recently saw a torpedo-like example from New Zealand prop Ethan de Groot, playing for the Highlanders against Crusaders. Disgracefully, it appears unlikely that he will face any suspension; the citing commissioner has, apparently, stayed silent. De Groot's action was similar to what France's Peato Mauvaka did to Ben White of Scotland in the Six Nations – another torpedo. A straight red was not given by the referee. Fortunately, the citing commissioner did intervene but the punishment of a three-game ban was meek. All of this is a terrible reflection on the sport, particularly when many amateur players are abandoning the game due to fears of sustaining brain damage. World Rugby and all unions must wake up and bring the guillotine down on foul play. Judicial hearings and decisions are now a bad joke, rarely reflecting the seriousness of dangerous offences. The ludicrous, mandatory 50 per cent mitigation must be ditched. Six-week suspensions should mean just that, instead of being watered down to three or even two. World Rugby has agreed to a red-card replacement. But it should also be beefing up justifications for referees to give straight reds. Failure to do so would be irresponsible. Appalling fouls should always be punished with straight red cards. Then there are the legal head collisions. The pick-and-drives, as frequent as ever, see teams obsessed at hammering away at the try line. Players who seem happy to lead with their heads should maybe think again. Nothing is said, presumably because there is rarely a concussion in pick-and-drives, but that doesn't make it okay. Medics, recognised eminent experts, advise that repetitive sub-concussive collisions have significant potential for brain damage, for early-onset dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. It is quite the mystery why nobody is paying attention. Rugby has become a brutal, dangerous game. No one can escape that fact. The powers that be really need to take a look in the mirror and decide that it can't continue. Hundreds of former players are taking legal action because of brain damage. These people are tormented about what life holds in store for them. It will be stoutly defended by World Rugby, who should themselves take initiatives to make the game safer. If not, a judgment in favour of the players will probably force their hands on the matter. By then, the amateur game might be a disappearing speck in the rear-view mirror.
