Johnny Sexton heir starts as Emerging Ireland team announced for opening game of three-match tour of South Africa

Emerging Ireland head coach Simon Easterby has announced his team to tackle the Pumas in their tour opener as the promising Sam Prendergast starts at fly-half.

Leinster’s Prendergast starts the match in Bloemfontein while Munster back-row Alex Kendellen will skipper the team in the first of three games in South Africa.

The 21-year-old fly-half has been widely heralded as the heir to Johnny Sexton for both province and country and Wednesday’s game is a chance for him to star.

Prendergast at number 10

Prendergast is joined in the half-backs by Connacht scrum-half Matthew Devine, with Hugh Gavin (Connacht) and Sean O’Brien (Munster) named in the midfield.

Ireland Sevens star Zac Ward is on the left wing in a pacy-looking back three alongside Rob Russell (Leinster) and Ben O’Connor (Munster) who starts at full-back.

In the pack, Munster prop Mark Donnelly starts at loosehead in a front-row which includes Leinster hooker Stephen Smyth and Connacht tighthead Jack Aungier.

Harry Sheridan and Darragh Murray are the lock duo while Kendellen is joined by Cormac Izuchukwu (Ulster) and James Culhane (Leinster) in an exciting back-row.

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The bench includes Ulster’s Jack Murphy and Jude Postlethwaite, 19-year-old Alex Usanov, Connacht’s Sean Jansen, Ronan Foxe and Ethan Coughlan (both Munster).

Looking ahead to the game at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein, Easterby said: “The Pumas will present a real test, coming as it does in the first of three games in seven days. They’re a physical team who have come off a competitive Currie Cup campaign.

“The three games will ask different questions of the group and that is exactly the kind of environment we want to foster and to see how the players react to a pressurised and competitive environment. We had a good pitch session on Monday afternoon and the players are itching to get out there.

“We will be managing our resources given the close proximity of the games and it’s a younger and less experienced group than the one that competed two years ago. But the talent, energy and enthusiasm of this group has been obvious over the course of the last six days. We’re delighted to be here in Bloemfontein and the squad is ready to get going.”

Emerging Ireland: 15 Ben O’Connor, 14 Rob Russell, 13 Sean O’Brien, 12 Hugh Gavin, 11 Zac Ward, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Matthew Devine, 8 James Culhane, 7 Alex Kendellen (c), 6 Cormac Izuchukwu, 5 Darragh Murray, 4 Harry Sheridan, 3 Jack Aungier, 2 Stephen Smyth, 1 Mark Donnelly
Replacements: 16 Gus McCarthy, 17 Alex Usanov, 18 Ronan Foxe, 19 Evan O’Connell, 20 Sean Jansen, 21 Ethan Coughlan, 22 Jack Murphy, 23 Jude Postlethwaite

Date: Wednesday, October 2
Venue: Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 16:00 local (15:00 BST)

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