Despite their short preparation time together, and the fact that their opponents were coming off a 10-game Currie Cup season, Emerging Ireland tallied up six tries to secure a 36-24 win at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.

Ireland Sevens Olympian Zac Ward burst past three defenders for the 14th-minute opener, and a closing penalty try was preceded by scores from Darragh Murray, Cormac Izuchukwu, Stephen Smyth, and replacement Gus McCarthy.

“The Pumas had a Currie Cup campaign to prepare for this game and we’ve had six or seven days but I think, to a man, our guys stepped up to the challenge,” said Easterby afterwards.

“I think these tours are always going to be challenging, they’re always going to put us under pressure for the time, but we certainly wouldn’t look for any excuses in terms of our preparation.

“I thought, on the whole, we were outstanding and everyone showed up really well. We got good minutes out of those guys that started, and we got a really good hit out of the guys who came off the bench and they added as well.”

All 23 players got time on the pitch, with only Ulster forward Izuchukwu and Leinster’s James Culhane, who stood out at number 8, having previously played for Emerging Ireland. They were both part of the 2022 tour to South Africa.

Six members of last season’s Ireland Under-20 squad made their Emerging Ireland debuts, including Smyth, Ben O’Connor, and Hugh Gavin as starters. They are all hoping this can be a launchpad towards playing Test rugby.

Of the Bloemfontein bunch from two years ago, six players have since graduated to win Ireland senior caps. The most notable are Jack Crowley, Joe McCarthy, and Calvin Nash, who have been regular starters this year for the back-to-back Guinness Men’s Six Nations champions.

Naas man Jamie Osborne shone during Ireland’s drawn summer series with South Africa, winning his first two caps at full-back, while Ciarán Frawley, who missed out on playing for Emerging Ireland in 2022 due to a shoulder injury, was the late drop goal hero in the second Test against the Springboks.

Speaking about how beneficial an Emerging Ireland tour is from both a playing and coaching perspective, Easterby noted: “Recent history shows that players who have been on this tour have kicked on. That’s part of the plan for this tour, to get guys to understand how we do things.

“There’s lots of great connectivity between the provinces and what they do and what we do. For us as coaches, to get to work with these players individually and as a group, but also they’re seeing the last two years, those guys who have gone on and got capped.

“I guess the challenge for the players on this tour is to make it as hard for us not to pick them over the next six to 12 months, going through to another World Cup cycle.

“So, I think there is that feel that there is genuine opportunity, and the reality is six guys have been capped and 48 caps have been gained by those six guys. The reality is there is a genuine pathway towards playing senior international rugby.”

Easterby and his fellow senior national coaches, Paul O’Connell, Andrew Goodman, and John Fogarty, brought a 33-strong squad with them to South Africa, and the ten players watching on from the stands today will be itching to line out against Western Force on Sunday afternoon.

With the Toyota Challenge clash with the Toyota Cheetahs next Wednesday completing the short three-match series, the tight turnarounds will certainly keep all involved, including the medical and S&C staff, on their toes.

Asked about any injuries coming out of the tour opener, the former Ireland and British & Irish Lions flanker replied: “I think Mark Donnelly, at the moment, has ice on his ankle. They’re just keeping him off feet. We’ll have a scan on that and we’ll know more about that tomorrow.

“Apart from that, there’s a few bruised and tired bodies, but I think most of them came through pretty well. Fingers crossed that Mark comes through and everyone else does tomorrow when we assess the players off the back of the game.

“Rob Russell as well, Rob came off with a hand injury. Again we’re not sure what that was. He was just struggling to get a grip and was replaced, probably as a matter of caution more than anything.

“That was one that again we’ll assess in the morning, and we’ll make sure that we get ahead of that tomorrow morning when we know a little bit more.”

Meanwhile, giving his reaction afterwards, Emerging Ireland captain Alex Kendellen spoke about how the players have gelled together quickly, and how this first performance, while far from perfect, augurs well for the rest of the tour.

“It was a good game. We talked about building connections on and off the pitch, and I think we showed glimpses of that today,” admitted the 23-year-old skipper.

“It’s good to get the win. I think we saw a few good performances out there and I really enjoyed it. There’s always going to be work-ons.

“We came together last week and we just talked about making connections on and off the pitch. We showed some good things out there. We’ll review that and we’ll get back to it for the Western Force game.

“I think there is a good group there. We’re building nicely. You look at the likes of Sam Prendergast, who is leading us around the park. It’s great to play with players like that and players from other provinces.”

Centre Harry Potter, the former Leicester Tigers back, scored two first-half tries as Western Force beat the Cheetahs 38-24 in today’s other encounter in Bloemfontein. You can watch all of Emerging Ireland’s matches on irishrugby+.

Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography

Emerging Ireland Head Coach Simon Easterby has named an exciting line-up for the first game of the Tour and the side will be led by Alex Kendellen, one of the three former Ireland U20 captains in the squad alongside his Munster colleague Evan O’Connell and Leinster’s Gus McCarthy, who are both named on the bench.

Hugh Gavin lines up alongside Sean O’Brien in midfield, with Matthew Devine partnering out-half Sam Prendergast at half back.

Ireland Sevens Olympian Zac Ward (pictured below) is named on the left wing in a pacy-looking back three alongside Rob Russell and Ben O’Connor who starts at full-back.

Ireland’s Zac Ward in action Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Travis Prior

In the pack, Mark Donnelly starts at loosehead prop in a front row which includes hooker Stephen Smyth and tighthead prop Jack Aungier.

Harry Sheridan and Darragh Murray are named at second row, with Kendellen joined by Cormac Izuchukwu and James Culhane in the back row.

Ulster duo Jack Murphy and Jude Postlethwaite are named amongst the replacements bench which includes 19-year-old loosehead prop Alex Usanov, Connacht’s Sean Jansen and prop Ronan Foxe, while Ethan Coughlan provides scrum-half cover.

Looking ahead to the game at Toyota Stadium, Easterby said: “The Pumas will present a real test, coming as it does in the first of three games in seven days. They’re a physical team who have come off a competitive Currie Cup campaign.

“The three games will ask different questions of the group and that is exactly the kind of environment we want to foster and to see how the players react to a pressurised and competitive environment. We had a good pitch session on Monday afternoon and the players are itching to get out there.

“We will be managing our resources given the close proximity of the games and it’s a younger and less experienced group than the one that competed two years ago. But the talent, energy and enthusiasm of this group has been obvious over the course of the last six days. We’re delighted to be here in Bloemfontein and the squad is ready to get going.”

The three-match Series will be shown live on SuperSport and will be available on IrishRugby+ here.

Emerging Ireland:

15. Ben O’Connor (UCC RFC/Munster)
14. Rob Russell (Dublin University FC/Leinster)
13. Sean O’Brien (Clontarf FC/Munster)
12. Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
11. Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster/Ireland Sevens)
10. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
9. Matthew Devine (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)

1. Mark Donnelly (Cork Constitution FC/Munster)
2. Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
3. Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht)
4. Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC/Ulster)
5. Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
6. Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)
7. Alex Kendellen (UCC RFC/Munster)(captain)
8. James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster)

Replacements:

16. Gus McCarthy (UCD RFC/Leinster)
17. Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
18. Ronan Foxe (Garryowen FC/Munster)
19. Evan O’Connell (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)
20. Sean Jansen (Connacht)
21. Ethan Coughlan (Shannon RFC/Munster)
22. Jack Murphy (Clontarf FC/Ulster)
23. Jude Postlethwaite (City of Armagh RFC/Ulster).

Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography

Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography