Getting better all the time

For about the last year or so, the word on the Limerick grapevine was that Garryowen had the best thing since, well, crushed grapes.

Amid the crop of bright young sparks now infiltrating the senior Irish club ranks are a clutch of out-halves set to revive the old Kyle, Gibson, Campbell, Ward, Dean conveyor belt and amongst them is one Jeremy Staunton. Remember the name, we were told.

He has it all, we were told, from many respected judges - and not all of them were Garryowen men. Height, strength, balance, hands and feet; adept at beating or breaking tackles, with deft hands and a mule of a boot. Weaknesses will surely be exposed too, but this was nonetheless a real talent.

A star-studded role in the successful Irish youths side of last year seemed to confirm as much. One viewing of the prodigious talent for the Munster `A' against their Ulster counterparts last August did indeed seem to suggest that he was a natural, and certainly built for the modern out-half's game.

The step up to the senior ranks was eagerly anticipated. By all accounts, when it finally came with the 18-year-old's debut for Garryowen against Galwegians a fortnight ago, Staunton even managed to live up to all the grandiose expectations.

Here is a sampling of the written verdicts on Staunton's performance in the 46-0 demolition of Galwegians: "A marvellous debut"; "Inspired"; "Completely overshadowed Eric Elwood"; "Gifted to Garryowen by the gods". Does he read the papers? "No, not really." Maybe it's just as well. Still, as debuts go it can't get much better than that.

"I thought I did okay. I was happy enough with my performance, but there are still a lot of things to be done. I'll always remember it though. It was nice."

There's a danger of over-hyping this kid, but the expectations of others seem to weigh easily on him. "I just take it as it comes and concentrate on my own job. I've got good guys outside me like Killian Keane and someone like Tom Tierney inside you. They keep you on track.

"I play to enjoy it. I really enjoy the game. I'm not really aware of people's expectations. I have my own expectations, which are to play well, and do as well as I can for both myself and the team."

For Saturday's trip to St Mary's, Staunton is the youngest of 10 under-22s in an unchanged Garryowen squad. They are one of three unbeaten Division One outfits heading to Dublin this weekend.

"We've got off to a very good start but it has been difficult with so many Munster squad members involved. We're really only getting together now."

Granted little time off over Christmas, he was in Dublin training with the IRFU academy on Monday and Tuesday, returned for a club training session that night, and again yesterday morning. "I like it. It keeps me busy," he says matter-of-factly.

Easy-going and level-headed, much of what he says comes in that tone. His attitude will surely help when the inevitable brickbats accompany the bouquets. Born into a farming family in Galbally, on the Limerick-Cork-Tipperary borders, Staunton hails from a very sporting background - his father Willie was a co-founder of the local rugby club, his sisters are noted basketball players and his younger brother Willie is said to have as much rugby talent.

Primarily though, it was a Gaelic background - he played hurling through schools up to 18 and was called into the Limerick minor football team last summer.

"The major step was going to a rugby school in Limerick, St Munchin's College. That was when I actually drifted apart from my GAA background and focused on my rugby, and then I got involved with Garryowen two years ago and they really are very helpful to me."

Rugby is now his preferred choice. "Yeah, definitely. I've made that decision already." Why? "Because I'm very happy with rugby.

"You get a lot of opportunities. You get to see a lot of places and meet more people, I suppose. It has an international aspect as well, which GAA doesn't. I enjoy both sports, but if you want to go anywhere you've got to concentrate on one and I decided it was rugby."

At 16, Staunton starred in an unfancied St Munchin's team which recovered from a 16-3 half-time deficit against CBC to lead 20-16 with less than 10 minutes to go in the Munster final. CBC went on to score two late tries. "If you win something like that, you'll always have it in the memory. But we lost and it felt like a tragedy. But that's life. You win some, you lose some."

Last year came another highlight, when he captained the unbeaten Irish Youths. "It gets better all the time I think. You don't know what's coming next, but it's obviously going to be better because what's done is done. "Captaining Ireland was a great honour but you've got to move on. It gets tougher all the time. The debut was quite special but that's gone and now I've got to hold my place."

"Things have been on and up since I left school. I'm actually quite surprised to be on the Garryowen senior team. Things have actually gone faster than I thought they would have. You gotta be happy with that."

So, goals for the season? "Stay on the Garryowen team, to keep playing well and obviously win the AIL with them. That would be a major plus to my career. I'd be quite happy with that."