Sam Prendergast steers Emerging Ireland to hard-fought win over Western Force

Ireland emerged victorious in the battle of the unbeaten teams from the opening round of fixtures, a hard-fought and at times impressive win against the Australian Super Rugby franchise that contained several Wallaby internationals.
Head coach Simon Easterby was pleased with the effort and application and in particular an opening three-try salvo in the first quarter at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.
“We were really keen to step up, it just felt like that if we played on top of them and were connected, then we would be hard to play against, hard to defend. That showed up in those first three tries and we probably left a few out there as well.
“Maybe the water break disrupted our flow a little. We talked about making sure that we attack the game with and without the ball and I think certainly we did that in that first 20 minutes.
“They’re a team that have been together a good while in this pre-season block for them, and the majority of those players are playing Super Rugby together, so it’s a really big result for us as a team that’s only been together for 11 or 12 days.”
Easterby had spoken prior to the tour about how Sam Prendergast and Cormac Izuchukwu would be key players. Both embraced and delivered on that expectation.
Prendergast’s general game management was excellent, his kicking out of hand first class, including one stunning 75-metre torpedo effort. One missed penalty effort from the tee in the second half will grate but he stepped up shortly afterwards to land a more difficult effort.
“Sam has been brilliant on this trip,” Easterby said. “He’s got experience of touring with us [Ireland] in the summer. The way he’s led the team both on and off the pitch in attack has been incredible. It’s not something that we didn’t expect, but he’s just really driven the team in terms of the way we wanted to attack.
“Playing 80 (minutes) today, some of the stuff that he was doing in terms of his line-kicking, his delivery, his distribution, he’s a class act. That’s something that we expect from him, but he delivered it to one of the highest standards today.”
Andrew Osborne had some nice touches, Chay Mullins was a significant if underused attacking threat, Seán O’Brien was strong in his carrying, while the Irish midfield of Hugh Cooney and Jude Postlethwaite were individually and collectively outstanding. Ethan Coughlan was sharp in defence and spoiled effectively.
Alex Kendellen was a deserved man of the match for his breakdown work and tackling. He had plenty of competition for that accolade, Sean Jansen, Izuchukwu and hooker Gus McCarthy got through a mountain of work, as did Alex Soroka. Ronan Foxe helped to ensure that Ireland had scrum stability.
A word, too, for two of the younger members of the pack in teenage loosehead prop Alex Usanov and secondrow Conor O’Tighearnaigh, who were exceptional. The pack really fronted up, while the bench did provide crucial momentum and energy in that fraught endgame.
Ireland’s performance in the first 20 minutes was characterised by brilliant attacking rugby, offloading – in and through the tackle – good depth, intelligent running lines and super timing of the pass.
None excelled more than Irish inside centre Postlethwaite, physically dominant in the collisions and a key figure in his side’s first two tries. An O’Tighearnaigh intercept was a pivotal moment in turning over possession, but from the lineout Postlethwaite bumped a tackler, pirouetted out of another tackle to cross for a try.
Prendergast converted as he would do again with Postlethwaite again a pivotal contributor, this time swatting away three tacklers inside the Force 22. Osborne beat Ronan Leahy and gave Mullins a run-in try.
Ireland’s third try was a doozy, Cooney with the initial break following a turnover from Soroka before several pairs of Irish hands including McCarthy, Usanov and O’Tighearnaigh kept the move going, one that ultimately culminated with Irish number eight Jansen diving over the line.
The water break on 20 minutes, an acknowledgment of the sweltering conditions, allowed Western Force to regroup and they closed the gap to 19-14 with tries from Mac Grealy and Justin Landsman, both coming after Ireland turned over the ball at the breakdown.
Easterby’s side had a try ruled out for obstruction but with the Force a man down after scrumhalf Issak Fines-Leleiwasa saw yellow for a head collision with Mullins, Ireland finished the half strongly when exemplary captain Kendellen was driven over from a lineout maul to leave them 26-14 in front at the interval.
Ireland conceded four penalties in the first nine minutes after the resumption; it cost them a player to the sin bin, blindside flanker Soroka and a try to Force hooker Nic Dolly, converted by Coby Miln to reduce the deficit to 26-21 with half an hour remaining.
The Australian side lost Wallaby international Darcy Swain to a yellow card as the contest lost a little cohesion as both benches were emptied. Ireland had Scott Wilson, a tighthead prop, covering loosehead and he got to experience some game time there.
Prendergast missed a penalty, then kicked a penalty, and watched on as his side had a second try of the match disallowed, again for obstruction. Replacement hooker Danny Sheahan came up with a couple of crucial turnovers as the team survived a Miln penalty to reduce the deficit to 29-24 with eight seconds remaining, the precursor to one final prolonged defensive set.
The Force made it to the Ireland 22 before they conceded a penalty, fittingly it was Kendellen who forced the issue. Easterby’s side, which has no injury issues, will now conclude the three-game tournament against the Cheetahs on Wednesday.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 6 mins: Postlethwaite try, Prendergast con, 7-0; 14: Mullins try, 12-0; 18: Jansen try, Prendergast con, 19-0; 20: Grealy try, Burey con, 19-7; 25: Landman try, Burey con, 19-14; 40 (+1): Kendellen try, Prendergast con, 26-14. (Half-time: 26-14). 50: Dolly try, Miln con, 26-21; 76: Prendergast pen, 29-21; 79: Miln penalty, 29-24
EMERGING IRELAND: A Osborne (Naas/Leinster); C Mullins (Ireland Sevens/Connacht), H Cooney (Clontarf/Leinster), J Postlethwaite (City of Armagh/Ulster), S O’Brien (Clontarf/Munster); S Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster), E Coughlan (Shannon/Munster); A Usanov (Clontarf/Leinster), G McCarthy (UCD/Leinster), R Foxe (Garryowen/Munster); C Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch/Ulster), C O’Tighearnaigh (UCD/Leinster); A Soroka (Clontarf/Leinster), A Kendellen (Capt, UCC/Munster), S Jansen (Connacht)
Replacements: S Wilson (QUB/Ulster) for Usanov, J Aungier (Clontarf/Connacht) for Foxe, C Foley (Lansdowne/Leinster) for Coughlan (all 51 mins); E O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) for O’Tighearnaigh (54); S Edogbo (UCC/Munster) for Soroka (60); H Gavin (Galwegians/Connacht) for Mullins (65); C Tector (Lansdowne/Leinster) for Postlethwaite (65); D Sheahan (Cork Con/Munster) for McCarthy (66)
Yellow card: A Soroka (50 mins)
WESTERN FORCE: M Grealy; J Landman, H Potter, S Tomkinson, R Leahy; M Burey, I Fines-Leleiwasa; H Hoopert, N Dolly, T Robertson; S Carter, D Swain; W Harris, N Champion de Crespigny, R Prinsep (Capt)
Replacements: C Miln for Burey (36 mins); H Robertson for Fines-Leleiwasa, T Horton for Dolly, M Pearce for Hoopert (all 53); T Tauakipulu for Robertson, L Faifua for Princep (both 58); T Nofoagatotoa for Harris, D Palu for Tomkinson (both 68)
Yellow cards: I Fines-Leleiwasa (39 mins); D Swain (58)
Referee: H van Rooyen (South Africa)