He's barely 20, has won two Leinster Schools' Senior Cup medals and numbers a Triple Crown and victory in Australia amongst his Irish schools' achievements. He is also a member of the IRFU academy and with a try-scoring debut under his belt he will start for Ireland this Saturday. Things seem to come easily for Ciaran Scally.

It's a notion he's quick to dispel. "I think I've been lucky in the sides I've played with. They were good Blackrock, Leinster and Irish schools sides and so is the Leinster squad I've been involved with this year."

Winning in Australia and beating Clongowes 8-3 in the first of those senior finals stand out in a high-achieving under-age career. In fact, that phase of his prodigious career hasn't been without its disappointment for he suffered partial damage to his cruciate knee ligament when playing against the English schools last year. However, being sidelined for six months did have one benefit. Scally chose UCD "because I'd been coached along the way by Jim McLean and I enjoyed working with him" and also because it affords him the chance to do a degree in commerce. The flip side of that coin is that "whereas the rest of the Leinster and Irish squads are nearly all full-time, I've got exams in six weeks which are part of my finals and I have to study tonight, which is a bit difficult".

He admits with some surprise at the speed with which everything has happened this season. "Getting into the Leinster squad was a surprise, as was getting into the Irish squad. I couldn't believe it when I saw my name in the squad." All the more so, perhaps, as he still hadn't started a game for Leinster at that stage, somewhat belatedly making his full debut for the province in their final European Cup game against Llanelli. It's ironic really. His father Derek was a longstanding captain and full back with Leinster but he never won a cap despite a few final trials. His son's representative progress has practically been the reverse.

Extremely bright, if far from cocky, the younger Scally admits he was "happy" with his Irish debut last Saturday but said that the extravagant dive for his try was because "the adrenalin was pumping and I didn't know who was behind me. I just wanted to get to the tryline as quickly as I could".

Now, having already fulfilled every player's ambition in playing for his country, he says "my ambition is to stay there".