Ireland's strength and conditioning guru Aled Walters has rubbished suggestions that Sam Prendergast needs to bulk up for Test rugby.
The out-half has enjoyed a breakthrough season both for Leinster and Ireland, establishing himself as first choice 10 for club and country.
A tall out-half, Prendergast is listed as 6ft 4in and 91kg on the Leinster Rugby website, although his physicality was scrutinised when he broke into the Ireland squad last November, and the player has bristled at suggestions he is too 'slight' for the top level.
Walters has no such concerns about 22-year-old's physique.
"People make comments about his physical development. It’s only when you see him in the gym and what he does that you might think differently about it," Ireland’s head of athletic performance said.
"He is a big man. He’s much heavier than I think people give him credit for. He is a heavy outside-half. And he is strong.
"He knows it's still an area [for development] because he is so young and with maturity he will naturally get stronger but he is fast and powerful and he moves incredibly well.
"I don’t see it as a massive project for him to develop physically. He is in a pretty good place already."
Walters (below) says that Prendergast’s rangy appearance shows how appearances can be deceiving.
"That’s why I’m so confident in him that he is very well developed. It’s a massive reflection of the work they do at Leinster and provincial level that a player of 21 comes in and he is in physically great condition to go and play test match rugby.
"Because of his appearance…he’s quite lanky isn’t he, he’s quite thin. People think he is fragile and I don’t see it myself."
Having first appeared in Irish rugby while working for Munster in 2012, the Wales native followed Rassie Erasmus to South Africa in 2018, working as part of the backroom team for the Springboks’ World Cup win in 2019. In more recent years, Walters has moved onto roles with Leicester Tiger and England, before joining the Irish set-up ahead of the Autumn Nations Series in 2024.
And while he’s only been involved with this Irish team for roughly six months, he’s been blown away with some of the athletic talent in the Six Nations squad.
"Someone like Mack Hansen has an incredible ability. I haven’t seen many players like this. I remember when I first arrived in Munster and Keith Earls was similar. I saw this ability to maintain speed while changing direction and it’s beautiful to watch in training and in games.
"Hugo [Keenan] is one now. The amount of running he does and he talks as if he talks it down. His communication is fantastic considering the mileage he’s doing.
"Again, it’s all the work that he’s doing. If you are going to the game on Saturday just track Hugo. It’s bewildering the amount of work he gets through and half the time he’s not even touching the ball. But he’s directing traffic and just organising and managing."
But Walters reserved special praised for loosehead prop, Andrew Porter (above).
"He’s phenomenal. I’m yet to find a gap that we need to address in terms of his performance.
"The critical thing about Andrew is that it’s not just that he’s on the field for 70 minutes, it’s that he’s charging down kicks and chasing the ball. He’s doing everything, it’s not just being on the pitch and taking part; he’s literally out-performing players.
"A unicorn is a great way of describing it, there’s not too many Andrew Porters around.
"That’s before you get to how he is in the gym, how diligent he is with that, he’s phenomenally special and I hope I can take all the credit for his performances as well, I’ve been here a long time [laughing]."
Walters is also adamant that the age profile of the Irish squad should not be a concern.
The Ireland side that defeated Scotland last week was the most experienced ever, in terms of caps, while 12 of this year’s Six Nations squad are 32 years old or above.
"No [concerns], the numbers now are the numbers now and that’s all I’d be concerned about.
"I’ve been fortunate to work with players on the wrong side of 34, 35 previously and you have to treat them all differently.
"Remember the Paolo Maldini project, what age was he playing at such a high level.
"It’s on everyone, it’s case by case. We wouldn’t treat a 25-year-old differently to a 35-year-old, it’s whatever they need to make sure they perform at the weekend. I don’t really think about it," he added.
