Cian Prendergast exemplifies a new breed of player Connacht are developing under Andy Friend.
It is all about giving youngsters opportunities, and none came any bigger for Prendergast than a first start against Stade Francais in the Champions Cup at the weekend. On Sunday he is expected to line out against a Leicester outfit that beat the French Top 14 leaders Bordeaux-Begles 16-13 in France.
“These are the games you really want to play,” the former Newbridge College player says. “You want to get a benchmark of where you are as an individual and as a team, and where you are in this journey with this new and young group that we have. We want to really want to test ourselves and get a win.”
Prendergast is one of four 21-year-old players to feature in last weekend’s victory over Stade Francais - some 10 of the squad was under 24.
“Friend put a lot of faith in us, picking such young players. He has said that if you show your best hand in training and perform, he is willing to pick you, and he’s been good for that. He’s willing to pick you in bigger games, and we fed off it last week.
“Lucky enough we had leaders like Jarrad [Butler] and Jack [Carty] to help us through, and lads who were not playing, like Ultan [Dillane] and Gav [Thornbury], helping us out and guiding us, taking as much of the burden off us as they can.”
Prendergast, who only started playing rugby when he attended his father’s alma mater Newbridge College, was already familiar with coaches Collie Tucker and Mossy Lawlor through the Ireland underage system when he decided to join the Connacht Academy from Leinster last summer.
The Connacht coaching set-up, he says, is “fair and hard”. “They are looking to help you improve and never allow you to stand still. With the depth we are building in the squad, if you stand still, you will probably get passed out. Look at the names who were not picked, and you go ‘well I’d really need to perform and take my opportunity or I may not get another one for another couple of weeks’.”
After the 36-9 victory over Stade, naturally the mood at the Sportsground is positive, but, he says, playing the unbeaten Premiership leaders away from home is a big challenge, but exciting.
“Leicester have gone back to what Leicester have been known for, a strong set piece, physical, confrontational, have built Welford Road as a fortress, and they really love to get a foothold in the game through set piece, scrum, maul, and physically trying to impose themselves. Then they have halfbacks, Ben Youngs, George Ford, Richard Wigglesworth, young centres, and wing Nemani Nadolo, who is bigger than most of our forwards.
“It’s a tough place to go, not only physically, but mentally, and you really have to be up for the challenge every time you go into contact, because if you half-arse it you will probably come off second best.”
At 6’ 5” and 111kg, Prendergast is making a name for himself as a blindside forward, though he can also play in the second row. It is a big change from his Newbridge College days when he played outhalf or centre.
“I knew how to play [rugby], but I mainly picked it up when I went to Newbridge. It was such a great environment. The coaches are teachers so they train you three, four, five days week, and it’s really fun to be involved in, and it encourages you to stay involved in rugby.”
At 15, he made the switch from backline to backrow at the suggestion of the senior thirds coach having undergone a “growth spurt”.
“So I played a game there, played half decent, gave it a shot, and was called up to the first XV. I’ve played there ever since.”
Now Prendergast’s goal is to become a regular backrow forward for Connacht, having been given his first opportunity “out of nowhere” last year.
Not only taking inspiration from New Zealand’s Kieran Read, he is always looking at different players as role models, players like Stade’s Argentinian Marcos Kremer, Caelan Doris, Jarrad Butler and Ultan Dillane.
More importantly, he says, the goal is to be “the best individual I can be for the team”.
“Particularly this weekend, we want us to be the first Connacht team to get out of the pool stage, so it’s about putting my best foot forward as an individual to allow the 15 to be in the best position to win, because ultimately that’s why we are here.”
Connacht take on Leicester Tigers in Welford Road on Sunday, and the signs are positive for a return to duty of Ireland and Lions player Bundee Aki who has been nursing a knee injury.
