Farrell Bristles At 'loaded' Prendergast Questions

Quilter Nations Series: Ireland v South Africa

Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin Date: Saturday, 22 November Kick-off: 17:40 GMT

Coverage: Listen connected BBC Sounds, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Radio Ulster; unrecorded matter updates connected BBC Sport website and app

Ireland caput coach Andy Farrell deed backmost astatine "loaded questions" arsenic he defended fly-half Sam Prendergast earlier Saturday's Test against world champions South Africa.

Prendergast started past week's 46-19 triumph complete Australia aft Jack Crowley wore nan No.10 jersey against New Zealand and Japan.

While Leinster's Prendergast shone successful nan Irish onslaught against nan Wallabies, nan 22-year-old's weakness successful nan tackle was exposed erstwhile Len Ikitau barged past him to people Australia's first try.

Asked if he wanted to spot much physicality from Prendergast, Farrell said: "I understand nan mobility and it's a mobility that evidently keeps popping up, but I deliberation Sam's expertise arsenic a fly-half acold outweighs a work-on wrong his game.

"I thought he was tremendous past week, his skillset has been awesome for each to spot and I deliberation everyone needs to look done a small spot of a work-on because everyone's sewage work-ons and will proceed to person work-ons throughout.

"That's up to america arsenic coaches and nan remainder of nan players to support connected moving connected them."

Pressed if he had spoken to Prendergast astir his method and assemblage position, Farrell responded: "I understand your mobility again, but they're loaded questions, do you cognize what I mean?

"Because past it's evident we person to talk astir that, but your mobility could beryllium asked astir immoderate azygous subordinate throughout.

"Of course, we perpetually talk to individuals astir each aspects of their play, truthful to deliberation that we're conscionable focusing connected 1 facet of 1 subordinate is not right.

"For example, I said to our 2 leaders yesterday astir definite aspects of their game. I'm talking astir Caelan Doris and Dan Sheehan, world-class players, and they work together pinch their work-ons, truthful it's changeless passim for each azygous personnel of each azygous squad successful world rugby."

Having started nan November Tests pinch a disappointing conclusion by nan All Blacks and an underwhelming triumph complete Japan, Ireland produced an improved capacity to expanse past nan Wallabies past week.

South Africa person not beaten Ireland successful Dublin since 2012 but travel into Saturday's crippled successful fantabulous form, pinch nan 32-17 triumph complete Six Nations champions France successful Paris an particularly eye-catching consequence fixed Lood de Jager's first-half reddish card.

And Farrell sees Saturday's title pinch nan back-to-back World Cup winners arsenic a robust introspection for his squad successful their last crippled earlier nan 2026 Six Nations.

"We've been talking a batch astir resilience wrong our crippled complete nan 18 months, and there's been immoderate learnings from that on nan way, and that was beautiful bully past week," he said.

"I suppose that'll get tested to nan afloat this weekend. So I don't deliberation we're conscionable learning astir individuals. We're learning astir our crippled and really we're going to advancement pinch that complete nan adjacent mates of years."

Farrell added that matching nan Springboks' immense physicality will beryllium cardinal for his broadside connected Saturday.

"It has to beryllium a given, because if you don't show up pinch that framework of mind you're connected nan backward measurement consecutive away," he added.

"It is an absolute fixed successful immoderate azygous Test match, that's for sure. But surely it's highlighted moreover much truthful against nan champion squad successful nan world astatine this infinitesimal successful clip and what is portion of their DNA has continued to beryllium portion of their DNA passim and it's only getting better; their collision activity and their carrying successful nan interaction areas.

"So if you don't move up successful that regard, you're successful for a reliable afternoon."