Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast admits he was surprised to see Jack Crowley come off the bench for Ireland against Scotland at full-back.
The Munster out-half replaced Calvin Nash with 15 minutes to go and stood at 15 with Hugo Keenan moving to the wing and fly-half Sam Prendergast remaining in situ.
"I suppose I was, you're always expecting a 10 that’s on the bench to come on to 10," Prendergast said.
"I know Simon Easterby said after the game they wanted to get two ball-players onto the pitch, as a 10 and a 15, it just didn’t materialise that way. I understand that."
Leinster's Prendergast has taken over as first choice out-half since the latter half of the Autumn Nations Series, and was named player of the match in the 32-18 win at Murrayfield.
Prendergast added: "I’m sure Jack would have been more pleased if he had come on at 10 but he’s shown over the previous week what he can do. I think he’s shown that over the last while as well.
"Thinking back to the Northampton game [in the Champions Cup], I thought he’d a fantastic game there and when he came on against England, the same thing.
"There are [three], you look at Ciarán Frawley as well, and Ireland are in a very comfortable position in that position and the future looks bright."
Munster wing Nash, who was a late call-up after Mack Hansen pulled out with a hamstring injury, also impressed the former scrum-half.
"He took his chance with both hands," he said.
"He didn't get too many chances, but when he did, he took them, dotting down early in the game.
"And again, a player that's very, very much in form.
"He probably came back and started the season slow on his own admission. He knew he had a small bit to do, and he found a way to get there.
"I think, over the last probably two months, you look at his performances, and I think at any time he gets on the ball now people just get excited."
Meanwhile, Mike Prendergast (above), who will coach the Ireland 'A’ team against England on 23 February, has said he is still interested in the top job at the province but had no update on the timeline for an announcement on the position, which has been vacant since Graham Rowntree's departure last October.
"There hasn't been [an update], there's no exact timeline on it," he said.
"I am still obviously interested in the job. Nothing has changed over the last number of weeks, months.
"If it happens it happens, if not I am still contracted here for the next two years as an attack coach.
"Genuinely, it's been so busy the last couple of weeks, going into Ireland 'A' and Munster, I suppose I've enough to be focussing on.
"In terms of has anything changed, nothing has changed. The timeline, there's isn't anything set specifically so we'll crack on doing what I'm doing."
Munster, seventh in the BKT URC table, host sixth-place Scarlets at Thomond Park on Saturday (5.15pm, live on RTÉ) .
Prendergast said: "They are a tough team to play against. They conceded a lot of points last year, this year they are fifth in the table in points conceded so their defence has been shored up.
"They are number one for attacking lineouts and they’ve nice little trick plays or patterns off lineouts. They score a lot through that."
Watch Munster v Scarlets in the URC on Saturday from 4.45pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
