Ireland v Australia: Andy Farrell and Joe Schmidt go head to head in Test rugby’s 2024 finale
On Saturday, there will be big numbers everywhere you look, from the IRFU’s big 150 to Healy’s 134, should the prop be summoned from the bench to surpass Brian O’Driscoll as Ireland’s most capped player.
But Irish rugby fans will have their eyes trained on a much small number after Farrell’s decision to keep the number 10 jersey on 21-year-old Sam Prendergast’s back.
Like Schmidt, Farrell has never shied away from headline-grabbing selection calls and keeping Prendergast in ahead of Jack Crowley has attracted much debate this week, especially after the latter was put up before the media earlier in the week.
Prendergast made his full debut against Fiji last week. He was perhaps fortunate to escape a red card but managed to shake off his early indiscretion and do enough to convince Farrell he is the man to lead the Irish attack against the Wallabies.
As it happens, Ireland’s last game against Australia, in 2022, was also dominated by fly-half discussion a week on from a win over Fiji. With Johnny Sexton pulling out injured minutes before kick-off, Crowley was bumped into the 10 role for his first start.
While he kicked five points, it was his replacement, Ross Byrne, who stole the headlines by nailing a difficult match-winning penalty.
Perhaps the show-stopping cameo awaits Crowley on Saturday, but if Farrell’s demonstration of faith in Prendergast results in defeat, it will spell two autumn defeats for Ireland.
Farrell said he expects Simon Easterby’s transition to interim head coach to be “seamless”. Lose on Saturday and it will immediately turn up the heat on Easterby with England first up in the Six Nations in eight weeks’ time.
