Leinster boss highlights ‘it is what it is’ IRFU regulation dictating his team selection as Sam Prendergast omission addressed
Leinster boss Leo Cullen, inset, has explained the regulation that meant Sam Prendergast didn't play against Munster on Saturday night
Leinster boss Leo Cullen has explained the IRFU player selection regulation that left him relying on Harry Byrne – and not Sam Prendergast – for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship win at Munster.
Prendergast has become the first-choice No.10 at the Irish club, going on to be a regular in Andy Farrell’s Ireland side.
However, with the countdown on towards the opening 2026 Six Nations fixture away to France on February 4, fans were denied the chance to see Prendergast go head-to-head with national team rival Jack Crowley at Thomond Park in the URC.
While Clayton McMillan named Crowley as his starting out-half, Prendergast was excluded by Cullen and the Leinster No.10 shirt was instead worn by Byrne, who continued his rejuvenated form since his return to the Dublin club following a Premiership loan spell.
“Harry was excellent…”
Asked after the 13-8 Leinster win at Thomond Park about the IRFU regulations curtailing the involvement of Prendergast and some fellow Ireland stars, Cullen explained that they can only be named for six of the nine matches that the club has across this winter block of games in between the end of the Autumn Nations Series and the start of the Six Nations.
“That is the thing, he [Prendergast] needs to drop out of a couple of the games, yeah. So a few guys missed Dragons, but they have to miss two more after that. Six of the nine games, so it is what it is.”
Prendergast’s absence didn’t hamper Leinster as Byrne stepped up to the plate to leave Cullen impressed. “I thought Harry was excellent,” said the coach. “He kicked his goals, and it was going to be important. Kept us playing in the right area of the field.”
Reflecting on his Leinster re-emergence, Byrne credited last season’s short-term loan stint in the English Premiership for igniting the revival that now has him in the hunt for a Six Nations recall with Ireland.
The 26-year-old was last capped by Andy Farrell in 2024 when playing off the bench in the championship matches at home to Italy and Scotland.
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Prendergast’s emergence since then saw him drop out of contention. But having spent the second half of the 2024/25 season at Pat Lam’s Bristol, Byrne is heading into 2026 with a rejuvenated pep in his step following an encouraging few months back at Leinster.
With older brother Ross quitting the Irish province for a three-year deal in England at Gloucester, Harry returned to Leinster where he has started at out-half in five of his eight appearances – including Saturday night’s URC win at Munster.
He also wore the Ireland No.10 shirt in last month’s A team win away to Spain and will now hope to kick on in January and convince Farrell he is worthy of joining an out-half battle where Prendergast and Crowley had two Test starts each in November.
With Prendergast absent at Thomond Park due to the IRFU player management protocol, Byrne was named as a Leinster starter and his performance was composed in a win where he kicked eight points – two penalties and a conversion.
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It was an appearance that highlighted how he is very much back in the mix compared to the same derby fixture in December 2024, where he was overlooked and about to put pen to paper on a three-month loan deal with Bristol that went on to be extended, enabling him to start seven times in 11 Bears appearances before the summer.
That exposure helped to steel him for nights like playing 80 minutes on Saturday night in Limerick. “Going away to Bristol was brilliant, to get the experience of a whole new team, whole new group of people,” he said.
“I suppose a whole new way of thinking opens up your eyes a little bit and Pat Lam is a brilliant coach; it was great for me. And then to be able to come back, to play here with Leinster, has been brilliant for me. I’ve been able to build on a pre-season.
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“I suppose anyone who wants to play wants to consistently and to be able to get that was good,” he explained before sharing his verdict on Leinster’s win over Munster.
“It was tough, you could even see by the end of the game we were digging in a little bit. I thought we controlled the game pretty well for large parts, the second 20 we were a little bit under the pump in terms of field position, so the message was just get the ball in front of us and then we can apply pressure that way.”
Next up for Leinster in their winter block of nine games is URC matches against Connacht before and after their Investec Champions Cup pool with fixtures in Dublin against La Rochelle and then away to Bayonne.
