'He knows our system, knows the culture' - Penny and Leinster wary of Lancaster's inside intel
WESTERN DEVELOPMENT: Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster before the United Rugby Championship match between Connacht and Zebre Parma at Dexcom Stadium in Galway. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Connacht’s last hosting of Leinster in Galway stands as a dramatic turning point for the western province, and for the Stuart Lancaster project.
The Englishman had suffered seven defeats in his first 10 URC games in charge and, while they fell again that night against his old employers in front of the newly-opened €4m New Clan Stand, they lost just once more in the regular season.
A run from there of seven wins in eight regular season games propelled them into the league playoffs and ensured qualification for this season’s Champions Cup. Now Leinster return to face an old mentor who was central to the careers of so many.
Lancaster was already in situ in Dublin when Scott Penny walked in the door of the high-performance centre in UCD, and he looks back with fondness at the man who so encouraged the younger generation and still knows plenty about Leinster.
“He knows our system, he knows the culture of Leinster, but it goes both ways. We know what he's about, we know what he's telling his Connacht players. And obviously we've got Peter Dooley, who was being coached by him last year, so we know what they're about.
“It's a bit of a tale that this week both teams know a bit about each other, which obviously helps people,” said Penny, “but it's all about how you show up on the day. You can know all you need to know, but you just have to put it into action.”
If the capture of just one Champions Cup title in his years at Leinster fell short of the mark then Lancaster’s impact at Leinster was still vast and multi-factored. He coached coaches as well as players. The rugby Leinster played during his stay was exceptional at times.
The former England head coach was equally adept at overseeing attack or defence. A former back row himself once upon a time, he drilled in to men like Penny the need to be always beating the opposing openside at a scrum, a ruck and on both sides of the ball.
“You're always trying to race the opposite seven. It's something you can really mark yourself one v one because that's what you want to do basically: every game you want to try and get the better your opposite number.
“That's a pretty clear aim with you. It was pretty tangible that you'd have won it or you'd have lost that race. That was something he always drove, was that first breakdown. It’s so important, a lot of teams will go after it.” Lancaster won’t be the only host to be relishing this visit.
Connacht, like Munster and Ulster, have borrowed liberally from the Leinster player pool in recent times and the openside Penny will be looking to outdo on Friday evening will be none other than his old teammate Will Connors.
Both are the sort of players whose careers have been parsed from outside the bubble with one view being that they would be better off leaving Dublin and finding an abode that offers more game time and maybe a route to the Ireland side itself.
Connors has finally made that move, Penny has stayed put.
"I haven't thought about it too much. Obviously I've been happy here at Leinster the last, this is my ninth season I think? So you just have to play it by year, play it by season. It's not something I've really thought about for sure," he said.
“Some lads go away and do great, some lads go away, it doesn't work out as they hoped, and some lads come back. It's part of life, it's part of rugby. The grass isn't always greener on the other side, but sometimes it is.”
Both sides have been diluted by the absence of their Ireland internationals. Eight in Connacht’s case, 17 for Leinster. It leaves guys like Penny swapping peripheral roles for leadership status in the blink of an eye.
The 27-year-old will be on national duty later in November with Penny among six Leinster men named in the Ireland A squad for a Cork clash with Fiji A in Cork, seven Connacht men among that selection.
For Friday night's duel, Leo Cullen has seen fit to give Connor Fahy a debut and Alex Mullan will likely follow suit off the bench. Eleven of their 23 have 15 caps or less with the likes of Penny, Max Deegan and Joey Carbery providing the know-how.
Connacht can draw on far more experience with almost 1,100 more club games between them than Leinster can offer and their eight Leinster men, along with Lancaster, should see this as an opportunity to make a mark against old friends.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
