1
{{item.n}}
'That will come to bite England... but they hide him well'
By Josh Raisey
Former Wales fly-half Dan Biggar has urged the Ireland coaches to find a way to hide Sam Prendergast’s defensive frailties, saying there are “solutions”.
The Ireland No.1o was forced into attempting 20 tackles against France in Paris last Thursday in the opening match of the Guinness Six Nations, more than any other player, and missed seven of those tackles.
The 22-year-old’s defensive shortcomings no secret, but Biggar believes they can be managed in-game, pointing to how Australia protected former fly-half Bernard Foley as a model Andy Farrell and his staff could follow.
Speaking on The Rugby Pod this week, Biggar suggested moving the Leinster star into the No.13 channel when defending nearer his line when teams are expected to run short, or alternatively, defending at the front of the lineout.
“He doesn’t have to stand there as a 10,” the former Wales captain said. “I played against Bernard Foley loads of times and we were never able to send Jamie Roberts at him because he defended at the front of the lineout.
“There are solutions as well. Clearly, at the minute, everyone with a pair of eyes in their head can see that needs to be worked on in his game. So while he is working on that, could you put him at the front of the lineout? Could you put him at 13 closer to the line, when teams are likely to come short off the scrum or the lineout?”
Fellow host Jim Hamilton used George Ford as another example of a player who is protected by England, although Andy Goode disagreed, saying Ford’s defence will cost Steve Borthwick’s side at some point.
“We weren’t tested,” Goode said on England’s victory over Wales. “But that will come to bite us in a bit. That defence around George Ford will come and bite England at some point, without a shadow of a doubt, but they hide him well.”
Goode went on to say that Prendergast is a “liability” for Ireland, and as a result, should be replaced by Munster’s Jack Crowley in the starting XV.
“He’s going to get targeted in every game he plays, because everyone knows that defensively he can be a liability,” he said.
“After that performance by Sam Prendergast, and it might piss off a load of people in Dublin, it may not, you’ve got to pick Jack Crowley as your 10 for the rest of the Six Nations, and say ‘Sam, get yourself to the level you were at last year when you were in the Lions conversation.’ Because he’s nowhere near it as a player at the minute, it sounds harsh, but it’s true. Jack Crowley’s got to be backed, Prendergast wasn’t up to it.”
Plot your team's route to the Six Nations title with our Six Nations score predictor game!
