Leinster and Ireland are in great hands with Prendergast, says Barrett
While he stresses that he still needs time to develop his game further, All Blacks star Jordie Barrett is confident Leinster and Ireland ‘are in great hands for a number of years’ with Sam Prendergast at their disposal.
Since joining the eastern province less than two months ago on a deal that will last until the end of the current club season, Barrett has featured on three occasions in the European Champions Cup – twice as a starter and once off the bench. Prendergast has been selected at out-half for each of these games and contributed 11 points off the kicking tee in last weekend’s 16-14 pool stage win away to La Rochelle.
Still just 21 years of age, Prendergast picked up three senior international caps for Ireland in last November’s Autumn Nations Series and was selected in their squad for the Six Nations Championship that was announced on Wednesday.
“He’s a great young player and he’s got a great skill set. He’s very aware of his strengths and uses those strengths to his advantage. He’s still young, he’s a kid. All his best years are ahead of him. I think Leinster and Ireland are in great hands for a number of years,” Barrett remarked at a Leinster media briefing in UCD earlier this week.
“Look, he’s not going to be perfect every game. There’ll be things he’ll do really well and things he’ll get wrong, but that’s important for a young 10. Just learning through those experiences. You can’t become the complete package overnight.
“There’s a number of great young 10s in Ireland and I know there’s always a search to find a replacement for Johnny [Sexton], who was unbelievable over a number of years. There’s great 10s all around the country, so that’s positive.”
Of course, last Sunday saw Leinster coming up against a La Rochelle side that are coached by a former Ireland number 10. In the wake of his charges losing out to the Irish province, Ronan O’Gara revealed on social media that Barrett had gifted the boots he wore in the game to the Cork man’s son and the New Zealander outlined how this all came to pass.
“I was chatting with ROG after the game and his boys come up with another young fella and they asked for my jersey. I said, ‘Sorry, I can’t give you this jersey probably because it’s a Leinster one and your Dad might not take it.’ So I said they could have my boots and they were very grateful. It was nice.” As a result of their victory against La Rochelle, Leinster are now guaranteed a home draw in the Champions Cup round of 16 in advance of their final pool game against Bath at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow.
After losing the last three European top-tier finals in agonising fashion, the Blues will be hoping the addition of players like Barrett, RG Snyman and Rabah Slimani this season can offer them a crucial edge come the business end of the competition.
Yet even though being an All Black with 68 international caps ensures he has an ambitious streak, Barrett acknowledged there will be more to this time in the Leinster set-up than whether or not he wins silverware.
“I can’t just sit here and say I want that or that, and don’t want that or that. I’ll just learn from experience and hopefully I can sit back when it’s a year on, when I get back to New Zealand, and apply certain things to my game or my preparation that are going to help me and make me a better player and person.”