It speaks volumes to the depth of back row talent at Leinster, that Scott Penny has never played a game of Champions Cup rugby for the province.The 23-year-old flanker will make his 43rd appearance for the province this evening at the Aviva Stadium, with every one of those coming in the BKT United Rugby Championship.Penny was just 19-year-old when he made his debut for the province back in November 2018, scoring a try in each of his first two appearances against the Ospreys and Dragons.His transition to the professional game was seamless, and it's arguable that were he to have been in a red, green or white provincial shirt, he'd have been a regular on European matchdays.He was set to make his Champions Cup debut last December against Montpellier, before the province's Covid-19 outbreak denied him the opportunity.
His patience looks to be paying dividends though, impressing on the recent Emerging Ireland tour of South Africa, while earning a call-up to the Ireland 'A' squad for next month's meeting with an All Blacks XV in Dublin.With Josh van der Flier carrying an injury, it's opened a spot in the back row for Penny, who starts alongside Max Deegan and Caelan Doris against Munster.
And while he's started, and scored in this fixture before, it feels the spotlight is shining brighter on him this evening, in what looks to be a very strong Leinster line-up."Scott has been such a steady performer for us, missed out on some of the bigger days over the last couple of seasons.
This is a great step up for him in this fixture," his head coach Leo Cullen said."Between him and Max [Deegan], they both went well in those Emerging Ireland games.