There is once again a big call at fly-half facing Andy Farrell when he sits down to pick his Ireland starting XV to face South Africa this weekend.

Jack Crowley looked to have made a decisive play for the 10 jersey after a superb start to the season with Munster, and started the first two tests of the Autumn Series against New Zealand and Japan.

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However, his counterpart, Sam Prendergast, staked a massive claim to be reinstated at fly-half with his flashy, assured display from the off in Ireland’s record win over the Wallabies on Saturday.

Crowley is still expected to return to the starting XV against the Springboks, but it now appears a much closer call than it might have this time last week.

Part of the reason for Farrell potentially favouring Crowley will be his physicality advantage over the Leinster man, with Prendergast again struggling in the tackle despite his dynamic attacking performance against Australia.

Against the physical might of the Springboks, Prendergast’s culpability in the tackle would be a big concern for Ireland.

It is an area Andrew Trimble is especially “disappointed” in the Leinster star in, despite suggesting he might favour Prendergast over Crowley for this weekend’s selection.

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Andrew Trimble fears Sam Prendergast has regressed in questionable area

Ireland legends Andrew Trimble and Shane Horgan appeared on Second Captains this week to analyse Ireland’s record-breaking 46-19 win over Australia and look ahead to Saturday’s clash with the Springboks.

Naturally, a major aspect of the conversation was the battle for the Ireland #10 shirt between Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast.

Saturday’s win over the Wallabies was arguably Prendergast’s best showing yet for Ireland, and he earned high praise from both the ex-Ireland wingers on Second Captains.

However, one area of Prendergast’s game that has been a big concern since his emergence onto the scene continues to “disappoint” Trimble.

Prendergast’s poor tackling was a root cause for two of Australia’s three tries at the Aviva, and despite both Trimble and Horgan giving him hugely deserved praise, they were both equally concerned about his defensive game.

Horgan began by saying he felt the young fly-half’s defensive culpabilities would eventually make it “extraordinarily difficult” for him to be picked ahead of Crowley.

“You can’t have it,” Horgan said of Prendergast’s defensive issues.

“Whatever [about] almost any other quality that the player has, if you’re that fundamentally flawed in that area, it becomes extraordinarily difficult to pick that person.

“I’m not writing him off in this area, I’m not. Because I really want him to get better in technique and attitude – but he’s going to have a tough time, he’s not going to fulfil his undoubted, monstrous potential unless he addresses this.”

Trimble would agree with his former Ireland teammate, but went one step further in sharing his fear that we may not see any improvement from Prendergast in this area.

I agree with everything. The only thing I would disagree with is we have to accept this. I don’t think we can say, ‘He’s going to improve, be patient with him.’

We’ve been talking about this for a year and that’s the worst, that missed tackle [against Australia] is the worst example of it. He has not got better in the last 12 months.

How many players have we played with, Shaggy, that we’ve seen do this? You hope, you train, you think about it, you try and get them technically…they don’t change.

That really disappointed [me], someone like Sam Prendergast. He should be, in every other category of the game, ‘He’s the best ten in the world, one of the best guys in the world.’

It’s such a glaring disappointment that he might not fulfil his potential because of that.

Despite those “glaring” concerns, Trimble feels it will not preclude Prendergast from being selected at 10 against the Boks this Saturday, even if his presence might “weaken” Ireland in a key defensive area.

“I don’t think it does,” Trimble said on the matter.

“It doesn’t weaken our defence, because he’s going to soak those, but I think it weakens our defence because guys left and right have to look after him a little bit. I think it shortens us rather than creates a hole in us, that’s a lesson.

“It’s just a shame that other defenders, it’s going to take a little bit out of them because they basically have to defend one-and-a-half channels.”

Jack Crowley is expected to start Saturday’s game against the Springboks, and it would certainly be a bold call from Andy Farrell if he were to stick with Prendergast at 10.

One thing is for certain, and that is that the Ireland fly-half debate will not be wrapped up any time soon.

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