Patient Penney plans for long haul

When it comes to rugby, Munster’s new head coach admits he is no conservative but the way Rob Penney sees his first season in charge of the province, there is more than a hint of caution about the progress he believes can be made in the coming months.

The New Zealander believes the players he has inherited are more than capable of producing the intuitive, intelligent and ambitious game-plan he has mapped out. Getting it right, however, may take some time and Penney recognises there is a long road ahead to reach his objective.

If even the longest journey begins with a small step, then Munster will take it in Edinburgh tonight as the Penney era begins in earnest with an opening RaboDirect Pro12 encounter against last year’s Heineken Cup semi-finalists at Murrayfield.