Penney says Springbok utility-man will bulk up Munster’s back-row options

New Munster coach Rob Penney had no involvement in the signing of back-rower CJ Stander from South Africa, but yesterday he fully endorsed the decision to lure the Blue Bulls star to Ireland.

Stander had barely landed in Limerick before he was whisked away for an intensive medical and fitness examination before Penney spoke excitedly by declaring: “Jeez, I hope he comes here and rips it up.”

But Stander won’t be expected to produce anything too soon, with Penney not making any immediate demands: “He is only just arrived fresh off the plane, he just going to be settling into the Munster environment and the Munster way over the next week or so. Obviously we have a break in games then, so he will be doing a lot of homework to make sure he is as prepped as he can be for when the opportunity comes for him.”

Elaborating on Stander’s potential — he is a former South African under 20 captain and was clearly on the senior Springbok radar before his shock decision to leave it all behind and move as a Project Player to Munster. Penney said: “He is obviously an outstanding athlete who can play all three positions in the back row really well.

“He offers us a bit of depth there and it’s going to be a very competitive environment heading into that pre and post christmas period. Paddy Butler is doing a good job, Tommy O’Donnell is a very capable young man; now CJ is in the mix there so those six/eight positions are going to be very eagerly contested.”

Penney recognises Stander’s ability to play seven as well; the coach is keeping all avenues open although he figures the 22-year-old might ultimately settle on six or eight: “I’ve got a really open mind, obviously for his benefit it would be good in the shorter term that he gets settled in one position and owns it, but it is, as I say, a very competitive environment and I’m keen to keep progressing the guys that are here and establishing the guys that have done a great job up to now.

“I suppose it will be a bit of mix and match to see what is in the best interests of the team. I suspect it will come down to either six or eight although, who knows, he might be a revelation at seven as well. I don’t want to pre-empt anything just yet.”

Stander will most likely make his debut against Scarlets in Cork on November 25, or at least Penney hopes the player will be ready.

“You would hope it would be the Scarlets, but we’re just conscious that he has come back off a long programme playing Super XV and then going into Currie Cup; (but) like all young men he will be keen to go to get a taste of footy and establish himself as a member of the group. “It’s just managing his time, freshening him up, and making sure he has got everything nailed off before he takes the field.”