Sam Prendergast shakes off injury to start for Ireland

Sam Prendergast will start at fly-half for Ireland on Friday against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium in round four of the Nations Championship.

The 23-year-old emerged as a doubt for the start of the Northern Series of the Nations Championship after picking up a wrist injury ahead of Leinster’s clash with Munster in the United Rugby Championship, but he has been cleared to start in a side captained by Dan Sheehan in Caelan Doris’ absence.

Prendergast will form a half-back partnership with Craig Casey, with his Leinster team-mate Jamison Gibson-Park providing cover for the Munster man on the bench. Ciaran Frawley will serve as the replacement fly-half on the bench.

The match will see Sean Jansen make his first start for Ireland at the back of the scrum, having made his debut over the summer. He will form a back-row alongside Leinster’s Ryan Baird and Ulster’s Nick Timoney.

There will also be a home debut for Connacht’s Sam Illo from the bench, with Tadhg Furlong – who avoided a ban last week for an alleged groin grab – starting at tighthead.

The side will welcome back Mack Hansen for the first time in 2026, who has eventually overcome a troublesome foot injury. He will be joined by Robert Baloucoune on the other wing.

Ireland XV: 15 Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(48), 14 Robert Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster)(9), 13 Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)(85), 12 Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster)(31), 11 Mack Hansen (Connacht)(30), 10 Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(17), 9 Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)(30); 1 Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(79), 2 Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(41)(captain), 3 Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)(88), 4 Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(26), 5 Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(73), 6 Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(33), 7 Nick Timoney (Queen’s University/Ulster)(14), 8 Sean Jansen (Connacht)(2).
Replacements: 16 Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(51), 17 Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(24), 18 Sam Illo (Buccaneers/Connacht)(1), 19 James Ryan (UCD/Leinster)(83), 20 Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(81), 21 Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(53), 22 Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Connacht)(15), 23 Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(72).