Rory Scannell looks to the future after season of stunning personal progress

As trying a season as it has been for Munster, a bright spot has been the emergence of a new generation of homegrown talent that gives Rory Scannell optimism for a resurgence in his province’s fortunes.

Scannell, 22, has been at the forefront of the Munster new boys alongside his brother Niall at hooker and back rower Jack O’Donoghue, who have had to make their mark in difficult circumstances as Anthony Foley’s squad has been forced to cope with the absence through retirement, injury or departure of a raft of experienced and battle-hardened leaders.

The PBC and Dolphin fly-half turned inside centre was asked to fill one of those vacuums, when Tyler Bleyendaal and Denis Hurley’s seasons were cut short through injury.

He had started four games prior to that, including once at 10 in the Pro12 and a European debut in Champions Cup round one against Treviso, as well as six appearances off the bench.

Once he inherited the number 12 jersey on December 27, though, Scannell did not relinquish it, starting Munster’s last 16 games in succession and finishing up having been involved in all but two of Munster’s competitive fixtures in 2015-16.

“Coming into the season I was hoping to pick up a few games here and there, I got a few starts at the beginning of the season and I was just trying to build on those and enjoy every game I got,” Scannell said. “I haven’t really looked back since, I’ve played most games since and it’s been a great learning curve for me personally.

“There’s a lot of academy lads coming through that have signed on for next year with a lot of games under their belt throughout the season so we’ve a good crop of young talent coming through. It’s looking good.”

So well has Scannell performed in a midfield partnership with Francis Saili that on Friday the Corkman will vie with Billy Holland and CJ Stander for the Munster Player of the Year award, the shortlist having been drawn up from the votes of their team-mates.

Scannell certainly signed off his first full campaign, as well as saying goodbye to his academy career, in style last Saturday with two of the five tries Munster scored to defeat Scarlets at Thomond Park and secure sixth in the table and a place in next season’s Champions Cup, Saili scoring another with a superb first-half counter attack that started on their own five-metre line.

“He’s a world-class player, he’s capped by the All Blacks and when he was signed I just wanted to learn off a player of his calibre,” Scannell said of Saili.

“We’ve played a lot together in midfield this year and I’ve learned a lot from him, too, I really enjoy playing with him. He’s a really exciting player and he was great again (on Saturday) and we work well together.

“We’re both looking to build for next year. He’s just coming out of his shell, he’s a new guy, he’s trying to get comfortable with the lads around him and he’s started to do that since Christmas. He’s playing some really good rugby and we hope to build on that partnership over the next few seasons.”

Scannell does not disagree with Foley’s assessment of him as an old-school second five-eighth, bringing his playmaking, kicking and distribution skills learned as a fly-half to inside centre.

“I’ve really worked on the physicality side of things as well, just my ball carrying and my defence. Hopefully, I can keep pushing on with those things and building.

“Adding that extra kicking option is great as well, so they’re a few of the areas I’d look to keep improving on over the next couple of seasons.

“That’s where I’m most comfortable now (at 12) and I really enjoyed playing there a lot this year. That’s where I want to be playing.”