TRAINING AGAINST JOE Schmidt’s senior Ireland team last Friday was a big opportunity and a big deal for the Ireland U20s.
But it wasn’t quite as daunting for Scott Penny as it might have been for some of his team-mates in the U20s set-up.
The 19-year-old, still in his first season out of school, has already racked up four starts in the Guinness Pro14 for Leinster, impressing in each of those outings for his province and marking himself out as a major prospect on the openside flank.
Penny says there was a sense of being “almost afraid to make mistakes there just because Joe is watching,” but he enjoyed the high tempo of the session at the Aviva Stadium as the U20s looked towards this Friday’s Six Nations clash with Italy.
Noel McNamara’s men have secured wins against England and Scotland in their two championship outings so far, with Penny shining in both successes with his tirelessly powerful tackling, clever breakdown work and strength on the ball.
The four starts he has made for Leinster this season – against the Ospreys, Dragons, Ulster and Scarlets – sent him into this Six Nations better prepared than he ever could have imagined would be the case.
“I was only really expecting to get maybe one cap this year but I’m delighted to get four caps now and, hopefully, I can get a few more after this Six Nations,” says Penny of his exposure with Leinster.
“I probably won’t get that many more opportunities because there’s a certain amount of games you can play – 25 a season – so I’m probably coming up close to that now with the Six Nations and the World Cup in June.
“With people away with injury and Ireland, I got my opportunities. All the senior lads there helped me ease my way in so it wasn’t too nerve-wracking.”
Penny’s Leinster debut came in November against the Ospreys, with a try for good measure, and it wasn’t clear whether he would be available to the U20s due to the run of games he secured for Leo Cullen’s side.
The flanker jokes that “I just do whatever I’m told!” but he’s happy to be involved in this exciting U20s campaign.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you never get to play 20s again so I’m really enjoying myself and, hopefully, I get to play all the rest of the games as well.
“It’s great to be playing with all your mates. I played with these guys at 18s, 19s, a few of them in school so it’s really good to play with them again.”
Penny first played rugby as a six-year-old with Lansdowne, following the lead of his older brother, Alex, who is now captain of UCD.
Scott kept up Gaelic football with Kilmacud Crokes and played hurling up until the oval ball became an obsession when he entered St Michael’s College for secondary school.
The hurling was dropped in first year but the football lasted until fourth year, by which time rugby was getting serious for Penny.
“I always really enjoyed it and in first year I started getting better and then in third year, people started saying, ‘You could make a career out of this,’ and I thought maybe. Things have gone on from there.”
Penny excelled for Michael’s and although the school didn’t win a Leinster Schools Senior Cup in his time on the team, he advanced straight into the Leinster academy upon graduation.
This season began superbly as Penny scored eight tries in seven games for Leinster A in their run to Celtic Cup success.
“Pretty much all of them were pick-and-gos or maul tries so I didn’t have to do too much,” he says with a smile, although the handy knack for try-scoring has continued with two in his first four senior games for Leinster.
6ft Penny is listed as weighing 100kg by Leinster but he punches well above that weight, having excelled physically against far more experienced and developed players in his outings for the province’s senior team.
His power has been impressive for the U20s too and Penny confirms that “the physical bit would probably be my favourite part of the game, the tackle and the breakdown mainly. I just like getting stuck in.”
He has enjoyed combining with number eight John Hodnett and blindside flanker Martin Moloney so far in this Six Nations, their skillsets complimenting each other well to give Ireland a balanced back row.
“Marty and John are unbelievable players,” says Penny. “John’s ability to carry is unbelievable and Marty is so good at the breakdown. The amount of work they get through is crazy, it’s really good. They definitely help me anyway.”
The hope is that they can help Ireland to keep their momentum rolling in Rieti in Italy on Friday night.
“We know Italy are going to be a really good team. They had a really good win against Scotland in the first round and were probably unlucky to lose to Wales but they’re a really good side who play with a lot of pace and try to physically dominate you.”
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I think it’s hilarious all the hating on Robbie on this. People seem to forget he’s the only player we have who can nick a goal. Granted we have more technical strikers but it’s all about scoring and Robbie is the only source we have
Have a lot more time for Robbie than Roy, yet some people still slag Robbie and rubbish his achievements with Ireland while at the same time worshiping at the altar of Roy. Never in a million years will another Irishman ever score 66 goals for his country, and deep down we all know that.
Robbie never let us down.
To be honest I think we will be just fine without Robbie keane
If we don’t play Darren in goal, Sol won’t be happy!!
Good article but I’d have to disagree that spurs have used 4-4-2 effectively.
McGeady & McLean or Walters. Its the one position we have a few options
Walters is chronic
Forde
Coleman – Clark – O’Shea – Wilson
McCarthy – Reid – Meyler
McGeady – Long – McClean
Would be a good shout.
Randolph
O’Shea Dunne Wilson
Coleman Brady
Mccarthy Meyler
Reid
Long Keane
Brady will not play again this season so you’ll have to find someone else!
personally I think our best 11 is
Given
Coleman-Dunne-O’Shea-Brady
McCarthy-Gibson
McGeady-Hoolahan-Pilkington
Long
brady left back?! given back in nets?
randolph
coleman – oshea – wilson – delaney
mccarthy – meyler
mcgeady – hoolahan – brady
long
would be a good team for tomorrow night – our best team; im not sure what it is – but what its not
@Brendan, Brady has played left wing back for Hull for the past 2 and a bit seasons and it would be a good balance with Coleman at lb, after all Wilson is right footed so Brady would provide more delivery’s. And why not Given?hes shown in the past couple of months hes still well capable of producing great performance. Im all for Forde but his distribution can be rubbish at times
Delaney is back at his club!
… so is Brady!
I disagree that Hoolihan could only be accommodated in a 4-5-1. He could play in a 4-4-3 or a 4-2-3-1 which given the players currently available to Ireland might be the way forward. There are a few players out tomorrow with injuries but going forward my first choice Irish 11 would be
Forde
Coleman, Dunne, O’Shea, Wilson
Gibson, McCarthy
McGeady, Reid or Hoolihan, Brady
Long
I think that Pilkington could do a job on either side of the 3 as could Walters at a push.
That was meant to be 4-3-3* of course :) tho maybe we could sneak an extra player in, who knows
agreed, best looking line-up there, for the near future at least anyway.
As the article suggested, having McCarthy and Gibson sit in front of the back 4 would be great to utilize one of our best attacking options – right-back Coleman. McCarthy too has been excellent in that sitting position for Everton
Need to start playing Clark, as the only decent centre back we have under 30, the more international gametime he get the better.
Think we’d be better concentrating on the players actually available tomorrow rather than playing pie-in-the-sky selections for the future.
Hopefully it’s the last we see of Paul Green
Long up Front alone is just madness, where on earth are the goals going to come from.
Good player as part of a duo, but terrible goal scoring record at every level…..forget qualifying for anything with him up front alone.
Lewandovski is miles ahead of him.
Yeah and he plays for Poland so we ‘re fooked there boss!
I would like to see use play with wing backs with 3 in the centre of the park and 3 in the centre of defence. Has been utilised to good effect by the like of Hull and Villa recently, particularly when taking on the bigger teams giving you stability at the back and a chance to pack the midfield (both places we have struggled recently).