The addition of an Ireland 'A' fixture has added a little extra spice to this weekend’s URC action with a number of fringe players looking to impress.
Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast will have a busy few days as he prepares his side to take on Scarlets in Limerick on Saturday (5.15pm, live on RTÉ).
Prendergast, who joined the Ireland coaching staff in Portugal prior to the Guinness Six Nations, will lead the 'A' squad and have the job of reviewing Leinster’s trip to Ospreys, Ulster’s clash with Benetton and Connacht versus Cardiff to see who has put their hand up to take on England ‘A’ at Ashton gate on 23 February.
Called up to the Ireland training panel in the autumn of 2022, Scott Penny didn’t make the breakthrough but the Leinster flanker is among the contenders for the trip to Bristol.
However, that’s doesn’t mean he has any intention of making tomorrow’s game in Swansea about him.
The 25-year-old, who will make his 79th Leinster appearance, reckons the best route is making the team look good.
"It’s about doing the basics well, so when you get your opportunities in the game to carry, tackle, hit rucks hard, as a back row in particular, that’s what you’ve got to thrive on, doing those basics well," he told RTÉ Sport.
"You don’t want to be greedy and push people away from the ball or whatever or mess up an attacking shape, but when you get an opportunity to impact the game, that you impact it well."
Penny, who was part of the 2019 U20 Grand Slam-winning side, is operating in one of the most competitive areas for a squad place.
Ulster’s Cormac Izuchukwu and James McNabney, Connacht’s Cian Prendergast, and Munster’s Tom Ahern are all part of Simon Easterby’s wider squad looking to break into a back row packed with
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