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“You can’t hide someone like that.”

Luke Fitzgerald has delivered a damning assessment of Sam Prendergast’s defending after the Leinster playmaker endured another difficult moment in contact during their win over the Lions.

The latest flashpoint came when Lions forward Siba Mahashe burst through Prendergast in the build-up to a disallowed try, with the incident quickly reigniting debate around the young playmaker’s defensive frailties.

Speaking on The Left Wing podcast, Fitzgerald admitted he had been trying to hold back from fully unloading on the issue but said the latest incident left him deeply concerned.

“I’m toying between speaking exactly what I think and completely decimating someone or trying to be a bit more measured,” Fitzgerald said.

“There’s no weights going to fix that. There’s no weights going to fix putting your arms together like that when you’re going to tackle someone for the disallowed try. This is rugby. You have to enjoy contact, otherwise you’re never going to be the person to bring Leinster back to the top of the European game.

“It’s disappointing. I’m just getting more and more worried about it. I just think there’s no place for it in rugby. You can’t hide someone like that, they will just always let you down.

“I hope I’m wrong. I’m taking zero pleasure on any of this, a young guy coming through. I just really think it’s a bad trait.

“I didn’t like it when I saw it initially and I was really reserved. But now I made a commitment during the year that every time I saw something like I saw at the weekend, I’m calling it out for what it is.

“I’ve seen these guys come and go. Weights doesn’t fix that, there are some things that weights can fix and some they can’t. You’ve got to want it and to be a winner.

“I’m very worried about him. I thought the stick would change things.”

Despite the criticism, Prendergast remains one of the most highly-rated young out-halves in Irish rugby, particularly for his attacking game and composure on the ball.

However, defensive concerns continue to follow him, and moments like the one against the Sharks and against Toulon the previous week are only adding more fuel to the debate.