Leinster have 'grown' in their 18 months with Nienaber

Scott Penny, left, and Sam Prendergast arrive for a Leinster rugby squad training session. Pic: Shaun Roy/Sportsfile

Words like ‘novelty’ and ‘experiment’ don’t add up anymore when it comes to the South African presence in the URC. 

How can it when it’s been nine seasons since the Southern Kings and the Cheetahs first played in what was the old PRO14?

The Irish provinces, like their counterparts in Wales, Scotland and Italy, have ample experience of welcoming sides like the Bulls and the Sharks to their European residences, and the return route down there has become just as familiar if never quite routine.

“This is my fifth [trip],” said Leinster’s Scott Penny before their league season opener against the Stormers in Cape Town on Friday. “I still get such a buzz. We always look forward to this trip every year.

“We've never won both games before, it’s such a tough place to win. It’s rare to be with your teammates for two weeks straight non-stop. A few new cappers here you can build connections with as well, and make more memories and friends.” 

What’s not to like?

The province arrived on Sunday, had their first session the next day and the one difference with their latest two-game mini-tour is the time of year having made the journey on the back end of the Six Nations in recent seasons.

It’s cooler now than in the months of March and April as South Africa starts into its southern hemisphere spring, but the weather is still expected to peak at 22 degrees on match day and there isn’t any altitude to worry about this week.

One constant when Leinster travel south is the absence of their frontline stars, something that has attracted criticism and disappointment in the host country in the past, but a fact of life that is unavoidable again now given summer commitments just gone.

Their Lions won’t be back on a park any time soon and another rump of the squad was away in Georgia and Portugal before enjoying some holidays. Penny, who holidayed in Australia, is one of those ready to set the tone for the campaign to come.

“Everyone wants to put their best foot forward. It’s great when we get the main players back but you want to be playing when it’s that first-choice team, like in the Champions Cup. These are the opportunities you need to take.

“It all starts now with these two games in South Africa, huge occasions against two proper outfits. This is where you can show what you are made of. We also want to get a win over here. We’ve never won at the Stormers so we will be all guns blazing.” 

Juggling so many players returning to duty at different times is absolutely one of those ‘good’ headaches and the hope is that those stepping up can ape last season’s experience when they fell point shy of the Bulls in Durban and beat the Sharks in King’s Park.

“Hopefully we can get two wins and use it as momentum for the rest of the season. Every point counts in such a competitive league. If you step off it, you never know where you may end up and having those home knock-outs is so important so we won’t take this lightly.” 

If there was more disappointment in Europe with that Northampton semi-final defeat then lifting the URC trophy reminded them of what it is like to win a title after four years without one and Penny insists the hunger is even stronger off the back of it.

And, for all the changes on the park in the weeks to come, Leinster have the comfort of knowing that Leo Cullen, Jacques Nienaber, Tyler Bleyendaal and Robin McBryde have all extended their stays in the coaching box through to 2027.

"It’s great. Even with Jacques, you can see in the last 18 months how much we’ve grown. In every game we play we’re getting more and more used to that defensive system. And the same in attack with Tyler.

“He’s getting more comfortable with us and we’re getting more comfortable with him. Everyone has so much respect for them and it’s great to have them here for the foreseeable. Everyone is so excited.”