Penny eager to play his way up the ladder with Leinster and Ireland

Leinster’s back row depth chart remains ridiculously deep and the 24-year-old is ranked somewhere in the middle of it.

WAITING GAME: Scott Penny of Leinster shakes hands with young supporters after his side's victory in the United Rugby Championship match between Leinster and Munster at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Pic: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

So, Jacques Nienaber has finally entered the building that is Leinster’s UCD base and the presumption is that the World Cup-winning coach will add some hard-nosed South African granite to a side that has fallen agonisingly short of silverware four times in two seasons.

It’s been noted that Leo Cullen has already opted for two 6/2 bench splits this term, away to Glasgow on opening day and again last weekend when Munster were the visitors to Lansdowne Road. Nienaber had yet to clock in but deductions were already being made.