They were far from the first brothers to play for Ireland when they came on in the second half of last week’s match against Japan at the Aviva Stadium.
The surnames Kearney, Wallace, Easterby and Best predate Sam and Cian Prendergast as members of Ireland’s ever-expanding band of brothers, which stretches right back into the 19th century.
According to the IRFU, the Prendergasts were the 57th sibling pairing to represent their country. A match during Ireland’s 2000 summer tour saw two sets of brothers take to the field – Paul and David Wallace playing alongside Simon and Guy Easterby as Ireland pummelled the USA 83-3.
But the early lunchtime start for last weekend’s Japan game conspired to make it a different kind of day for Leinster outhalf Sam and Connacht flanker Cian.
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“After the final whistle goes, you’re like, ‘oh, that was pretty cool’, and you go up and see how happy it’s made your family,” says Sam.
“We had a nice dinner after. That’s the benefit of the early kick-off, that we actually got to spend some time together as a family and it was a kind of special 24 hours.”
A win over Australia would make Saturday special in a different way – lift a little pressure, firm up the confidence, secure bragging rights over a Joe Schmidt team, and maybe, if Sam starts and puts in a good shift at outhalf it will get him a nose ahead of Munster’s Jack Crowley.
The young kickers have had to become familiar with rotating roles and not allowing it to become a point of friction. Ambition and drive keeps the relationship competitive, but they’ve found an equilibrium to keep relations positive.
“If either of us are getting bogged down by the rotation over the last year, it’s selfish,” says Prendergast. “As in, we’d both say we’re being selfish. I think we both agree that it’s important we stay positive and both just try to contribute to the team.
“I thought Jack has played very well the first two games and he started the season really well. We both get along and we share the same ambitions, so it’s not that hard to get on.”
Nonetheless, selfish is an important ingredient in what can make a player better. A large part of rugby life revolves around training, nutrition, mentality and performance. Many of the choices Prendergast makes are made for just one person.
“Yeah, I suppose,” he says. “But in terms of getting bogged down by it and impacting your day-to-day. Impacting your day-to-day is probably stopping you from getting better as a player.”
Crowley started against the All Blacks and Japan, making it likely that Prendergast will wear 10 on Saturday against the Wallabies.
“You always want to start,” he says. “I think there’s probably five or six flyhalves in Ireland who want to start those games and yeah, it can be frustrating.
“It’s about not letting it eat you up because all you can do is stay positive, try to improve every day and, if you keep doing that, then you hope the big picture things take care of themselves.”
Prendergast was less than happy with his short cameo against the All Blacks. A few errors were not the input he had hoped for, but he’s not the type to let it chew him up. Parking issues and ploughing on are part of his skill set.
The conversations he has had with Ireland head coach Andy Farrell have centred around playing with courage and boldness, flying in the face of the temptation to shrink back and become more of a conduit than a playmaker.
“I think [Farrell] just wants to see me playing with a bit of confidence and going and taking things on,” says Prendergast.
“It’s not necessarily about being perfect, but it’s about looking to do the right thing and not putting restrictions on yourself. I always find that refreshing, so it’s good.
“Anyone who’s ever spoken about Andy has said how the brain he has for rugby is brilliant, and also his emotional intelligence.
“Any kind of conversations around the game, whether it be mental or strategic, it is always beneficial for me.”
If selected for his 12th cap on Saturday, Australia will be the first nation Prendergast has played against twice. Currently four caps ahead of his brother, this weekend could present yet be another family affair at the Aviva.
