Irish rugby fans look set to get their wish next Saturday with the long-awaited match-up between international out-half rivals Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley.
The duo, rivals for the Ireland 10 shirt, are primed to face off in the Leinster-Munster BKT URC derby after both being left out of their respective squads this weekend.
Crowley missed last night’s win for Munster against Edinburgh, while Prendergast is not in the panel for Leinster's game this afternoon against Sharks at Aviva Stadium (5.30pm).
Munster coach Clayton McMillan confirmed to RTÉ Sport on Thursday that 25-year-old Crowley, who was 26 Ireland caps, was rested to ensure he was eligible to start next weekend in line with the IRFU’s player-management protocols.
Prendergast, who started the first four games of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign, has played in both of Leinster’s games in South Africa and his absence for today’s tie suggests he will come back into the reckoning for the Croke Park clash.
Crowley started last year’s match against Leinster at Croke Park but Prendergast was not in the home squad that day, while the roles were reversed for the Thomond Park fixture in which the Cork man missed out.
The duo have been fighting it out for a starting jersey in Andy Farrell’s Ireland team since Prendergast, 22, arrived on the international scene during last year’s November internationals.
The Munster man started against New Zealand and Argentina at the start of that window but lost his place for subsequent games against Fiji and Australia.
Having started all five games of the 2024 Six Nations campaign, which Ireland won, Crowley found himself playing second fiddle to the Leinster man, who began all but the final outing against Italy.
The pair started one game apiece of Ireland’s summer tour, with Prendergast winning his ninth cap against Georgia and Crowley starting the Portugal romp.
"By the time the Six Nations comes around, we need to know who is our number one..." 🔟@bernardjackman on the out-half balance of power for Ireland ☘️
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 9, 2025
📺📷 Full pod: https://t.co/kS5Iy4q1Uf pic.twitter.com/Otyt4DDp8N
"I will be gutted if they don't play against each other," Bernard Jackman told the RTÉ Rugby podcast earlier this week.
"We should be beyond the days of final trials or 'Probables v Possibles', but if everybody who has spoken passionately – either pro-Crowley or pro-Prendergast – bought a ticket for the match, it would be sold-out."
They have endured mixed fortunes at the start of this season for their clubs.
Prendergast was part of the Leinster team that lost both games to Stormers and Bulls and endured a torrid end to the latter match as he missed two kicks and threw a pass that was intercepted for a sixth Bulls try.
Crowley helped Munster to a fine away win at Scarlets on the opening day and was player of the match and scored a crucial late dropgoal in last weekend’s victory over Cardiff.
Next Saturday’s game has all the look of a mini trial between the two fly-halves to sway Farrell’s thinking ahead of the 1 November clash against New Zealand in Chicago.
Harry Byrne, who was on loan last season at Bristol, starts at out-half today, while Leo Cullen has also included six of the British and Irish Lions in his squad to take on the South Africans, who lost to Glasgow and drew with Dragons in their opening two games.
Josh van der Flier captains Leinster for the first time and is joined by British and Irish Lions Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong, Jamie Osborne and James Lowe in the starting XV; Thomas Clarkson is on the bench.
In all, Cullen has made eight changes to the team that lost in Pretoria, while Joshua Kenny, capped at Sevens, is in line for his debut off the bench.
Meanwhile, both Connacht and Ulster return to action, against Cardiff and the Bulls, respectively, after sitting out last weekend due to postponements caused by Storm Amy.
Connacht were left frustrated by the late cancellation of their home game against Scarlets, while Ulster had travelled to Scotland before their clash with Edinburgh fell victim to the conditions.
Stuart Lancaster, whose side beat Benetton in round one, makes one change to the squad with Sean O'Brien coming into the side at blindside flanker with Paul Boyle missing out.
Ireland players Mack Hansen, Bundee Aki and Finlay Bealham are all back in training but were not selected for the visit to Cardiff, who beat the Lions and lost to Munster to date.
Lancaster said: "We have had a productive week of training, the boys are looking sharp, focused, and eager to get back out there.
"Mentally we reset and focused on this game once we heard the Scarlets game was postponed.
"My personal experience playing against Cardiff, home or away, it’s never easy.
"They are well organised and coached and as we all know play a great brand of rugby so it should make for a fantastic game."
Ulster, meanwhile, will look to build on their opening-round victory over Dragons.
Summer signing Juarno Augustus makes his first start, at number 8, while prop Eric O’Sullivan named in the matchday squad following injury lay-off.
"Physicality, ball-carry. He's been a great guy in and around the changing room," head coach Richie Murphy said of the South African forward.
"He's a lovely personality within the group.
"He's obviously a big point to prove as well, being a South African.
"We're looking forward to seeing how he goes this week and over the next couple of weeks."
Winger Rob Baloucoune also returns after injury and Jacob Stockdale is named at full-back.
Handré Pollard starts for the Bulls, who have won their opening two, and is among the eight Springboks named in the starting XV.
