Sam Prendergast tightened his grip on Ireland’s number 10 jersey with an impressive display in Sunday’s dominant win over Scotland at Murrayfield, but he is staying level-headed while the hype around him continues to grow.
Prendergast, 21, had not played an away fixture for Ireland before Sunday and was winning just his fifth cap in a team filled with experience.
But he looked as comfortable as any player in green, scoring 12 points while orchestrating the attack through an impressive range of passing, kicking and decision-making.
Speaking on the BBC’s television coverage, legendary Irish out-half Ronan O’Gara showered praise on the Leinster youngster, labelling him a “master of control”.
“[Prendergast has] been one of the shining lights, one of the three best performers on the pitch,” O’Gara said after Ireland’s powerful first-half display put them 17-5 ahead.
“He’s very composed, a good kick strategy, good decisions on when to run, when to kick, when to play the ball in front of his forwards.
“He’s been a master of control.”
While a smiling Prendergast insists he did “not particularly” feel like O’Gara’s description, he was happy to receive a “nice compliment from a very good player” while consciously focusing on the team’s fast start.
“I thought it was really good and it just kind of let us build a bit of momentum,” said Prendergast, who was named player of the match.
