EXCITING ACADEMY FLANKER Scott Penny will make his Leinster senior debut in Friday evening’s Guinness Pro14 clash against Ospreys, with international duty and injuries forcing Leo Cullen to name a youthful side.
19-year-old Penny has impressed for Leinster ‘A’ this season, scoring a hat-trick against the Ospreys Development team in the Celtic Cup in September, and is named to start at openside on Friday night at the RDS [KO 7.35pm, eir Sport/TG4].
Penny is joined in the back row by Josh Murphy and Caelan Doris, while backs Jimmy O’Brien and Jack Kelly are also in line for their first Leinster appearances off the bench in the round nine encounter.
With resources stretched a number of ways, Cullen has offered players the chance to state their case over this two-game window as Leinster resume their Pro14 campaign, with seven academy players named in tomorrow’s matchday 23.
Scott Fardy, who captains the side, provides experience in the pack alongside James Tracy, Michael Bent and Ross Molony while James Lowe returns to the left wing having missed the trip to South Africa before the two-week break.
In the backs, Ireland sevens international Hugo Keenan makes his first start at fullback with Adam Byrne and Lowe making up the back three.
Injuries to Joe Tomane, Fergus McFadden, Robbie Henshaw and Rory O’Loughlin have left Leinster light in midfield, with Cullen naming Conor O’Brien and Noel Reid as his centre pairing.
Munster-bound Nick McCarthy starts ahead of academy scrum-half Hugh O’Sullivan and Ciarán Frawley will win his fifth appearance at out-half.
In the pack, Peter Dooley and Bent start at loose and tighthead prop respectively with Tracy at hooker, while Molony and Fardy make up the tight five.
Leinster ‘A’ captain Kelly is among those named on the bench as the province bid to extend their lead at the top of Conference B having won seven of their opening eight Pro14 outings.
Leinster:
15. Hugo Keenan
14. Adam Byrne
13. Conor O’Brien
12. Noel Reid
11. James Lowe
10. Ciaran Frawley
9. Nick McCarthy
1. Peter Dooley
2. James Tracy
3. Michael Bent
4. Ross Molony
5. Scott Fardy (captain)
6. Josh Murphy
7. Scott Penny
8. Caelan Doris.
Replacements:
16. Bryan Byrne
17. Ed Byrne
18. Vakh Abdaladze
19. Mick Kearney
20. Max Deegan
21. Hugh O’Sullivan
22. Jimmy O’Brien
23. Jack Kelly.
Ospreys:
15. James Hook
14. Hanno Dirksen
13. Cory Allen
12. Johnny Kotze
11. Keelan Giles
10. Sam Davies
9. Tom Habberfield
1. Rhodri Jones
2. Scott Otten
3. Tom Botha
4. Giorgi Nemsadze
5. Lloyd Ashley
6. Olly Cracknell (captain)
7. Sam Cross
8. James King.
Replacements:
16. Sam Parry
17. Gareth Thomas
18. Alex Jeffries
19. Rob McCusker
20. Will Jones
21. Matthew Aubrey
22. Luke Morgan
23. Tom Williams.
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