{"id":109216,"date":"2026-02-20T00:35:55","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T04:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/sin-categoria\/ireland-vs-england-crowley-starts-prendergast-out-of-the-team\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T00:35:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T04:35:55","slug":"ireland-vs-england-crowley-starts-prendergast-out-of-the-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/rugby\/ireland-vs-england-crowley-starts-prendergast-out-of-the-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Ireland vs England: Crowley starts, Prendergast out of the team"},"content":{"rendered":"

Changes in Ireland’s XV to face England<\/h2>\n\nCoach Andy Farrell has made five changes to the Irish team that will face England on Saturday. Jack Crowley will take over the fly-half position, while Sam Prendergast was not included in the team for the match.\n\nIn addition to Crowley, the quartet from the British & Irish Lions, Jamison Gibson-Park, Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne and Josh van der Flier, will also be starters.\n\nFarrell has opted for a five-three split on the bench, with the return of Finlay Bealham, Ciaran Frawley and Tommy O’Brien. However, Prendergast, Edwin Edogbo and Cormac Izuchukwu were not selected for the matchday squad.\n\nPrendergast struggled in the victory over Italy (20-13) last weekend, including misses on two simple conversions, before being replaced by Crowley.\n\nThe 23-year-old player started in all but one of Ireland’s previous seven Six Nations matches. This is the first time he has been excluded from a 23-player squad in the championship since his debut in November 2024.\n\nCrowley impressed from the bench against the Azzurri, although he missed a touch kick at the end of the match, which prevented Farrell’s team from getting a bonus point.\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\nThe 26-year-old player played every minute of Ireland’s successful 2024 Six Nations campaign, but his only start in the tournament, following Prendergast’s appearance, was in last year’s fifth-round victory against Italy in Rome.\n\n\n

Following Ireland’s recent success against the Italians, coach Farrell lashed out at the “keyboard warriors” who attacked both Prendergast and Crowley on social media.<\/p>\n\n\nCiaran Frawley, who hasn’t played at international level since the 106-7 victory over Portugal last summer, will be the substitute at fly-half in Twickenham.\n\nScrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park is called up again to partner with Crowley, in the only other modification in Ireland’s backs line.\n\nIn three changes to the forwards pack, Furlong replaces Thomas Clarkson at tighthead prop, while Beirne and Van der Flier come in for Izuchukwu and Jack Conan in the back row.\n\n\n