Wrist injury makes Prendergast a doubt for Ireland

Sam Prendergast has emerged as a doubt for Ireland's Nations Championship opener against Argentina in two weeks' time, with the out-half dealing with a wrist injury picked up in training this week.

The 23-year-old will sit out tomorrow's BKT United Rugby Championship meeting with Munster at Aviva Stadium, as Joey Carbery makes his first start in the 10 shirt since his return to the province.

With Jack Crowley injured, Prendergast had been the frontrunner to start at out-half for Ireland next month after back-to-back man of the match performances for Leinster against Cardiff and Clermont Auvergne, but he now looks like being a real doubt for the first of the Nations Championship fixtures against the Pumas, which would open the door for Ciarán Frawley to come into the side.

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen said the injury remains a "day by day" issue, when asked if he expected Prendergast to be available for Ireland against Argentina on 6 November.

"He'll be tight, I’d say," Cullen replied. "Whether that’s tight positive or tight negative, I’m not quite sure. I genuinely don’t know.

"How he manages some of the pain is probably the main issue for him. Sam would be very bullish I know, talking to him. He was bullish to play this week, but we made a more sensible decision for him."

Garry Ringrose also misses out on tomorrow's Interpro due to a hamstring injury, but the big selection call came in the back row, where captain Dan Sheehan (below) starts at number 8.

The province are dealing with several injuries in the back row, with regular skipper Caelan Doris out until the new year, while Jack Conan looks set for an extended spell on the sidelines with a dislocated shoulder.

Sheehan has previously covered in the back row for the province late in games, but this will be his first outing at number 8 from the start.

And Cullen says their back row injury list gives them the chance to experiment.

"It's very early in the season still, so it's worthwhile us trying some things.

"We've been discussing it for quite some time at the back of last season and there was an opportunity to try it this weekend.

"You can see what he's like in the loose in terms of his ball-carrying ability, but also in terms of his work in defensive breakdowns as well. He'll find himself in a similar situation defensively where he would normally be because the twos and the eights can be quite similar in terms of where they defend. So that role is not going to change drastically for them.

"But it obviously gets Ronan [Kelleher] on the team as well, which, you know, he's a hugely experienced player for us. So, yeah, it's a proper game, proper test and we were keen to experiment with it," he added.

Cullen also revealed that Harry Byrne (below) is being given an extended rest after suffering a concussion against the Lions in the opening round of the URC.

"He actually saw a specialist this week. He has a plan in place now for a return, so he's on the right track now which sometimes happens; you get a head knock and sometimes it lingers.

"But that's the thing in terms of knowledge, care, everything is streets ahead of when I played the game, which is not that long ago.

"There have been huge advancements there in terms of knowledge, understanding. So he went to someone in the UK, he's got a plan now, and he's training at the moment. He's just not in contact but he's training away and doing a good impression of Charlie O'Shea there today."

While these sides will meet again in Thomond Park just after Christmas, Saturday could be Cullen's final time hosting Leinster's big rivals in Dublin, ahead of his departure at the end of the season.

And the Leinster boss (below) says last week's 10-year anniversary of Anthony Foley's death has given him reason to reminisce on the "amazing" rivalry which has run through his career.

"Obviously the Axel stuff is probably the thing that is on my mind the most this week.

"The last time I saw Axel was in the Leinster-Munster game in the Aviva, which was just before the Racing game [in 2016]. It was literally just the week before.

"In terms of memories, we have those retro tops now this year; Have you seen those ones? 25 years on, where Eric Miller got sent off for kicking Axel in the balls! So I’m thinking of Axel 25 years ago and then obviously 10 years ago was the last time I saw Axel. There’s so many different memories.

"Every player, fan, support staff. Everyone is going to have some different memories, but definitely that’s the couple of things that are jumping out for me at the moment. It’s an amazing rivalry."

Last year's crushing 31-14 defeat in this fixture at Croke Park is also fresh in Cullen's mind.

"You can see the Munster players, how committed they were to the contest first and foremost, and just hearing them talk after, it meant a huge amount to them.

"We need to be ready. We've tried to prepare well this week, it's a great rivalry, great occasion, and I believe there will be a huge crowd there as well, which is fantastic and what we all want.

"It's a huge week for both clubs because it's a great occasion and there's a huge amount at stake always in these games," Cullen added.

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